Finding Family
by erdi99
Summary: Rachel Martinez had Julie, but Ranger was never told that she went through with the pregnancy. 13 years later Steph find Julie on the street and becomes her foster parent. 3 years later Steph wants to adopt Julie, but Rachel and Ranger never signed away their rights. How will Ranger react when he finds out about his daughter? What is Rachel going to do? AU
1. The beginning

**_Steph's POV_**

"Hey" I greet my daughter, as I enter our apartment.

"Hey Mom" Julie looks up briefly from her homework.

"Have you eaten?" I question on my way to the kitchen.

"Pop Tarts, fruit loops and the last tasty cake" She answers without looking up from the book in front of her. She has become a good Student, only receiving A's and B's. Surely better than I ever was.

"We will count that as a starter. I brought meatball subs for the main course" I inform her and as soon as the words leave my mouth, I hear her jump out of her seat. "Here you go" I laugh and hold the bag out for her to take to the living room.

"You are the best" She smiles, sniffing the bag. A girl after my own heart.

I take a big bottle of coke out of the fridge and sit next to her on the couch. We dig into our subs in complete silence, whilst Mob Wives is running in the background. I look at Julie and smile. She has come such a long way.

Three years ago, I worked as a BEA and had just split from my cop boyfriend Detective Joe Morrelli or also known as Italian Stallion. I was on the hunt for Rita Spitecker on Stark Street, as I found a young teenager sitting on the side of the road, looking very skinny and scared. That teenager was Julie.

* * *

 _Flashback_

 _I grab the bag from McDonald's and get out of the car. "Hi" I say carefully, as I kneel in front of the girl. "Would you like something to eat?" I add, whilst placing the bag in front of her feet._

 _The girl looks up and pushes her black hair out of her face, revealing bloodshot and puffy eyes. She must have been crying. "Thank you" she replies cautiously, wipes her dirty face and grabs the bag._

 _"You are welcome" I nod. "What is your name?"_

 _"Julie" She answers, after stuffing her mouth full of fries._

 _"Julie, this isn't the safest street in Trenton…Do you have someone I could call to pick you up or do you have somewhere to stay?" I ask, already knowing that the answer would be 'No'._

 _She only shakes her head as she unwraps the burger._

 _"Do you want to stay at my place tonight?" I question. I know that Joe would call me insane, telling me that she could be a criminal, but I just feel sorry for her. She looks like she hasn't had a shower or real food in weeks._

 _"No…It's fine. I will go to a Hotel" Julie declines._

 _"Well…" I pull a business card out my bag and write my address on the back, before handing it to her with a 10 dollar note. Unfortunately it is the only cash I have on me. "If you can't find somewhere to stay, you can come to my place."_

 _"Thank you" she nods and stuffs the card in her jacket pocket._

 _"Hold on" I shout and quickly throw on a shirt and shorts. I had to take another shower after I tried to bring in a skip of mine peacefully and the ungrateful prick thru horse manure at me. It puzzles me why he had so much manure in his front yard. I did ask, but he didn't tell._

 _As I open the door, I am mildly surprised to find Julie on the other side. "Hi…does…ummm does the offer still stand?"_

 _"Sure" I step aside and let her in._

 _"Thank you…it will only be for one night I promise." She assures me._

 _"Alright then…have you eaten?" I question. She only shakes her head and hands me the $10 I gave to her earlier. I only recognise the note, because it has a name written on it. "No…you keep it." I close the door and walk past her towards the bathroom. "You can have a shower, while I get you some food. I hope heated up pizza is ok?….Bathroom is that way" I add, pointing at the door which leads to my bed room. "Towels are under the sink. But be careful, the boiler is a bit temperamental."_

 _"Thank you" she says again, before disappearing in the bathroom._

 _Five minutes later she is back out, wearing a pair of my shorts and a t-shirt, which I laid out for her._

 _"Ok…any preference in what we watch?" I ask, as I sit down on my couch. She only shakes her head and sits carefully on the edge of the couch, as if she is afraid to break something. "Ok…Ghostbusters it is."_

 _One week later_

 _"Julie?" I question, making her look up from the magazine she is reading on the couch. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"_

 _She told me yesterday a little about herself. She ran away from her latest foster family who were using her, and a couple of other children, to maintain, harvest and package their large weed plantation. Julie had hitchhiked all the way from St Mary's, a small town in Pennsylvania, to Trenton. Today, I ran a background check on the foster family and was shocked that kids were sent to them for foster care in the first place._

 _"Sure" She says, as she sits up. Her skin, which is milky coffee colour, looks a lot healthier, after week of proper food, and a little bit of glow has come back into her face._

 _"I think we need to notify the police about your foster parents" I say and she immediately puts her guard up._

 _"You can't…" She says in almost a whisper. "They will sent me back into a group home!"_

 _"Listen… these people need to be stopped. I promise, that I will do everything in my power to get you placed with a good family." I assure her. I know a few people that may be able to help Julie to find a good home._

 _"Can't I just stay with you? I am almost 13…no one is going to take me in." Julie says and it breaks my heart. She has grown on me in the last few days._

 _"I will see what I can do, but I cannot guarantee that you can stay with me. They won't deem me fit to foster a teenager. I have a dangerous job." I explain to her._

 _"You will do better than those other people" Julie replies stubbornly. Apparently I have grown on her too._

 _"Ha" I snort and add "I am barely keeping Rex alive…but let's not talk about that yet. First we need to make sure that no kids will be sent to them ever again. Okay?"_

 _"Fine" she huffs out._

 _"Okay then. I will call someone I know" I tell her and pick up my phone to call Joe._

 _"Cupcake" He answers after the first ring._

 _"Are you on duty?" I question, foregoing any greeting._

 _"Why? Did you change your mind about marrying me?" He asks, half joking. Since we split up three months ago, we have been amicable towards each other. We have even been to a Ranger's game or two. And if you believe the latest gossip in the Burg, he even has moved on._

 _"No…But I need your help" I tell him._

 _"I finish in an hour." He says and hangs up._

 _End of Flashback_

* * *

Joe came over that night, listened to Julie's Story and days later her foster parents were locked up. Surprisingly the State of New Jersey granted me to foster Julie, after I got my fostering Licence and training.

What was even more surprising, that my mother supported me all the way. After all me and her hadn't agreed on anything, since deciding what colour my room should be painted in as I was a kid.

And because I was sick of chasing after people who didn't want to be found, I finally realized my dream and opened a lingerie shop with my friend Lula. That was two years ago and we are still in business.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Julie eyes me with suspicion. "Grandma isn't planning on setting me up with that Douche Rodger again, is she?" That is another thing that happened at some point in the last three years. She started calling me mom and my mother grandma.

"God no…I have told her what a Douche he is….His parents aren't invited to the annual Plum BBQ anymore" I laugh.

"Good" Julie smirks.

Suddenly my lock tumbles and Joe walks into the apartment with a file in his hands. "Hey Girls"

"What are you doing here Uncle Joe?" Julie questions and Joe groans. He hates when she calls him that. Joe says it makes him feel old.

"Julie" He ruffles her hair, shrugs of his leather jacket and grabs the bean bag to sit down in front of the couch. From day one Julie and Joe got along like a house on fire, which makes me happy.

He is like a father to her, attends school functions, her baseball games and is in general just there for her. Even Joe's girlfriend Ellen, a primary school teacher, and his parents get along well with Julie. And with all of us, Julie got the family she never had.

But that doesn't mean we live in a happy bubble. She is a teenager after all and in the last three years we have had our share of disagreements. But we always pull through.

"So…you want to see it?" Joe questions, taps the file onto his legs and looks at Julie. I have been thinking for some time about adopting Julie and about a month ago I finally mustered the courage to ask her. That she was excited is an understatement.

Unfortunately Julie's parents never signed away their rights, so we have to find them and convince them to do so. So I got a lawyer, my ex-Husband Dick, involved. He may have wronged me by sleeping around, but he is still one of the best lawyers in the state and if I want to get custody of her, I need the best.

I convinced Dick that he owed me, after what he put me through, and he is doing it Pro Bono, much to his dismay. Dick got all the information about Julie from the State and I had Joe run a background check. I could have gone to Connie at the bonds office, but Vinnie often bugs her desk and I didn't want him overhearing anything.

"Yes" she nods and takes the file of Joe.

"So you already know that your mother gave you up for adoption, but that fell through, because the couple were expecting a child of their own…." Joe starts explaining, more for my benefit than for hers, as she has the file.

"I found out that your mother, Rachel Martinez, studied Human Resources at a community college after she left high school. She worked during that time in her father's convenience store and has no criminal record. Rachel graduated top of her class and is now working as a PA for the Mayor of Miami.

She is married with a son, who is five, and they live in Miami. Her husband, Ron, is a District attorney. No siblings. Her father has passed away, but her mother is still among the living. She too, lives in Miami...Your father" Joe clears his throat and waits for Julie to turn over the page. "…has a bit of a longer history and was a lot harder to find information on. I had to call in a few special favours…"

"His name is Ricardo Carlos Manoso, nicknamed Ranger. He is second generation Cuban-American. After a brief stint in Juvie as he was 14, he went to live with his Aunt and Uncle in Miami. He studied at Rutgers for two years, before joining the army at 18.

He went onto the Ranger's before retiring a couple of years ago. He now owns a security firm called Rangemen…Unfortunately I was not able to find a home address for him, but his business address is in there. He just opened a Branch in Haywood. He has three sisters who live in Newark, same as his parents. If you flip over I found several pictures of your mother on social media and your father's picture from the Army." Joe explains.

"So we could go and see him?" Julie questions.

"We could, but maybe it is better to let Dick do the reaching out" Joe remarks, almost growling Dickie's name. It is no secret that my Ex Husband and my Ex Boyfriend don't like each other.

I look at Julie, who's face shows slight disappointment. "You know what?" I say and Julie looks up at me. "We will go there tomorrow after school. See if we can get a face to face with him."

"Steph, you think that is a good idea?" Joe looks at me with a worried look.

"Yes" I answer with a little more confidence than I actually have.

* * *

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	2. The father Part 1

**Thank you too all of the people at Fanfiction Fanatics on FB who patiently answer my questions. Jane, thanks for the Hockey info.**

 **And thank you to you readers. All you comments, follows and favourites are much appreciated.**

 **I had to split this chapter in half, as it got wayyyyyy toooo long ;) I hope you enjoy it as much as the first one.**

 **Enjoy**

* * *

 _The Next day_

"You ready?" I ask and grab her hand, as we walk towards the seven story building in Haywood.

"No" She shoots me a shaky smile, but keeps walking anyways. I would drive right back home, if she asked me too.

"Hi, my name is Stephanie Plum and we would like to speak to Ricardo Manoso." I say to the guy at the Reception, who has a flaming skull tattooed on his forehead. Who would be crazy enough to get a tattoo on their forehead?

"Me apparently" The man answers the question I thought I asked in my head. Julie groans and her face turns red of embarrassment. "Do you have an appointment?"

"No, but we have to speak to him urgently." I reply.

"Regarding?" The man questions.

"A personal matter" I inform him.

"Hold on…" He picks up the phone, says a couple of sentences, before hanging up. "I am sorry but Mr Manoso isn't available at the moment."

"When will he be available? We can't wait." I press.

"To speak to him, you will need to make an appointment." He replies gruffly. This guy really needs to learn some customer service.

"Do you have a phone number for his PA?" I question and grab my notebook out of my bag.

"You will need to make the appointment with me…let me see….The next appointment would be available…3rd May, 1000 hours" He informs me.

"That is months away…we can't wait that long. This is urgent" I push.

"I am sorry, but unfortunately we don't have a free appointment before that" The man says, not at all apologetic. I look at Julie, who has disappointment written all over her face, and then nod at the man, before walking out of the Building. Maybe I should have said 'Hey this is your bosses daughter, who he abandoned before she was born. And we are here to get him to release his rights'. But I had a feeling that wouldn't have gotten me into that fancy elevator either.

* * *

"I have an idea" I tell Julie, as I walk back into the living room with two big tubs of Ben & Jerry's. We made a pit stop at the supermarket to stock up on tasty cakes, doughnuts and ice cream. Because the disappointment was clearly written on Julie's face, even though she assured me she was fine.

"That's never good" Julie mutters and I lightly hit her with the spoon on her leg. "HEYYY CHILD ABUSE" She cries and starts laughing, as I hit her again. "So what's your idea?"

"I will make an appointment with them for security evaluation of my shop. They are new in Trenton and as the CEO, he surely will make an appearance" I tell her and start smiling, as the idea takes form in my head.

"Mom…Joe is right, let Dick handle it" Julie says, as she snatches one of the tubs from me.

"We will try this and then I will let Dick handle it." I promise and sit down on the couch next to her. I just think that if a lawyer contacts them, it's a) impersonal and b) too aggressive and hostile. I pick up my phone and dial the number from the folder.

"Rangemen, Hal is speaking" the man on the other end says.

"Hi, I run a business in town and I would like to get an estimate regarding new security" I explain.

* * *

"Hello" I say and shake the hands of both men.

"Do you mind if Lester looks around, while I talk you through our basics?" Ricardo questions. He has grown into a hot man, since his army picture was taken. And I can see the resemblance between him and Julie.

"Just come into my office" I tell him and lead the way. Since Lula is keeping an eye on the shop, I don't have to be worried about anyone stealing anything.

"Hi" Ricardo says surprised as he sees Julie sitting in my chair, with her homework in front of her.

"Ricardo, this is my daughter Julie" I introduce them and motion for him to sit down.

"Nice to meet you" Ricardo shakes her hand, while Julie just stares at him.

"Uhmm there is no easy way to say this...I partly called you for another reason than a quote for a security system." I start. Ricardo's smile disappears and his eyes grow suspicious. "Ricardo, Julie is your daughter."

"Alright, I think this meeting is over" Ricardo stands abruptly. "And if you call again, I will call the police."

"Please...just wait.." I latch onto his arm and he looks down on my hand with a stony expression. "I have a file that can prove this" I tell him, quickly grabbing the file from my desk, while still holding onto his arm. I am afraid that he will leave and we lose our chance to do this without the lawyers.

I hand him the file and he flicks through it, while I speak. "16 years ago Rachel Martinez gave birth to Julie and listed you as the father. Family services tried to get in touch with you after the adoption fell through, but were unsuccessful. She was released into foster care and I found her three years ago on the street."

"We are not looking for money, or a relationship…" Julie quickly adds, knowing that is exactly where her father's mind would be going. I looked up his company, which is worth a huge amount of money. "As you never signed away your rights, we like you to do it now."

"Why?" Ricardo questions, without looking up from the file. I can't read what is going on inside him, his face doesn't show any emotions.

"I am going to adopt her" I advise him and release his arm.

He simply nods his head, takes the file and leaves without saying another word. We hear him say something to Lester, before the front door opens and closes.

"I will be right back" I assure her and storm after him.

* * *

 **Ranger's POV** _  
_  
A daughter? What the hell?

"Hey cuz, you alright? Why did you want us to leave? I wasn't finished checking that place out" Les, my cousin, questions from behind me.

As we are halfway to the car, the door of the shop opens behind us. The cute brown haired woman with crazy curls slams the door and comes running after us.

"Manoso" She shouts and with a few steps she is right in front of me. "You listen to me...that girl is your daughter and she had a pretty shifty life, no thanks to you" She pokes me in the chest which each word she speaks "...I have been caring for her for the past three years and I love her like she is my own. So I want you to do right by her and sign those papers...We don't want anything else from you...I will involve the courts if I have to."

Over her head I can see Lester's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "Let's go Les" I growl and get into the black Rangemen SUV. "Give me some time" I say to Miss Plum, before closing the door.

"What was that?" Lester questions, after driving a few minutes in silence.

"Nothing" I growl, trying to make him understand that I do not want to talk right now. He briefly holds up his hands in surrender, before putting them back on the steering wheel.

For the rest of the drive I blank everything out and once we get back to Rangemen, I immediately walk up the stairs to the gym. I am fuming and I need to get it out of the system, before I even give this whole thing another thought.

There are some of my men in the gym, but they take one look at me and leave instantly. They know me too well. I just want to punch something or preferably someone and none of them want to spar with me if I am in this mood, as I tend to break bones and ribs in the process.

I throw the folder on the ground, take of my shirt and start hitting the boxing bag. Right...Right...Left...Right...Right...Left. With every punch I can feel the muscles in my neck loosen and the tension within me slowly ebbing away.

"Ranger…" I hear Bobby's voice through my stupor. I keep hitting the bag without looking up. "Ranger...I think this is enough...you knuckles are already bleeding" He points out and with one glance at my hands, I realize that he is right.

"Do we need to sedate you?" my best friend, Tank, questions and I only shake my head in response.

"Let me look at those" Bobby commandeers.

I hit the bag another couple of times for good measure, before I stop. My arms and hands are numb and the rest of my body is dripping of sweat. Lester hands me a towel without a comment. I quickly wipe away some of the blood, before showing my hands to Bobby. He motions over to a bench and I sit as instructed.

"You wanna tell us what is going on?" Tanks probes and sits down on the ground. "I have disabled audio and video and Hector is at the door." He adds without me having to voice the question.

"What did you tell them?" I ask Lester, having to swallow hard to get the dryness out of my mouth.

"Just what happened outside the shop" my cousin answers, as he hands me a bottle of water.

"Look at that" I motion to the file on the ground, before emptying half of the bottle.

"Hold Still" Bobby growls and tugs my left hand back into position.

"What is this?" Les questions as he opens the file.

"Information about me and Rachel" I inform them and Lester's eyebrows instantly shoot up again. They all know the story. "She lied...We have a daughter named Julie...who was there today in the shop…that is why she called us there today." I tell them.

"She who?" Tanks probes.

"Stephanie Plum...Julie's foster mother" I explain.

"What does she want?" Bobby asks and starts working on my right hand.

"For me to sign my rights away" I swallow hard. I know that I want to do right by Julie, but to sign my rights away doesn't sit well with me either. "Miss Plum wants to adopt her."

"Nothing else?" Tank questions and looks at the file over Lester's shoulder.

"She looks like me as a teenager…" I tell him, answering his unanswered question for a paternity test.

"What are you going to do?" my best friend inquires, obviously sensing my inner turmoil.

"I will do right by her" I answer, without knowing what will be right for Julie, before standing up and leaving the gym. I nod at Hector in passing and make my way up the stairs to my seventh floor apartment.

I take a quick shower, then walk back down to my office to get some work done. By 8 pm I finally give up trying. I grab a quick snack from the staff kitchen and walk down to the garage.

* * *

Next thing I know I find myself in front of the Lingerie shop, owned by Stephanie Plum. For a moment I watch her from my car, bustling around, before I get out and walk over.

My knock at the window startles her and she shoots me a suspicious look, as she comes over to open the door.

"You scared me to death" She remarks.

"I apologize" I say and walk past her into the shop.

"Drink?" Miss Plum questions, gesturing to her glass on the counter.

"Sure" I nod and sit down on the couch, which is sitting in the centre of the shop. Obviously meant for husbands who were dragged along on a shopping spree, if the several men's magazines lying on the table in front of the couch, are any indication. "Would have taken you for more off a cocktails and beer kind of girl." I remark, as I accept the glass.

"It's been a whisky kinda day" she replies, before she continues to hang up more stuff. "What happened to you knuckles?"

"Trying to work some stuff out" I shrug my shoulders to show her it is not a big deal. I take a healthy swig and wince as the alcohol leaves a burning trail down my throat.

"What do you want Mr. Manoso?" Miss Plum questions, thankfully letting the topic of my knuckles go.

"Please call me Ric or Ranger" I tell her.

"Steph" She nods and takes a sip of her own drink.

"I don't really know what I am doing here" I admit. I do not divulge personal information or my thoughts to strangers or to anyone really. But something about her makes me want tell her all my deepest and darkest secrets.

"I didn't know…" I inform her and stare into my glass. For a moment I watch the brown liquid move inside of it, before drowning it in one go. "I didn't know Julie existed. Rachel...her mother...was supposed to go to the clinic."

"Wow you are a real gentleman...You didn't even go with her?" Steph shakes her head in disbelief.

"Rachel told me the day I was shipping out to Ranger training...she assured me she would get rid of it...had I known...I could have done something" I get up and walk over to where Steph is leaning on the counter. She grabs the bottle and tops my glass up.

"It said in her file, that the state tried to contact you" Steph points out.

"I never received any calls or my superiors didn't acknowledged my existence" I shrug. She raises an eyebrow in questions and I add "Special ops...by the time Julie was born I was already somewhere, where I shouldn't have been with official approval."

"Why did you never follow up with Rachel?" She probes.

"I sent her a letter, but never received an answer and as I got back stateside, she had changed her number and address." I inform her, before taking another healthy swig from my glass. "Tell me about Julie." Julie is a much more preferable topic, compared to my history with Rachel.

"She is incredibly smart, kind, strong, independent, tells terrible jokes and has a love for sweets just like me" Steph smiles, the love for my daughter evident on her face. "She's had a rough life...thrown from one foster family to the next. Her last one used her as a slave to harvest and maintain their weed plants…"

"WHAT?" I growl, anger flaring up within me. Steph jumps slightly at my out outburst and I shoot her an apologetic look.

"You don't have the right to get angry" she informs me annoyed and slams her glass on the counter, spilling half its contents. "Julie had to go through this because of you…"

"I DIDN'T KNOW SHE EXISTED...had I know...I could have done something…" I yell at her and turn away. But as soon as the words are out of my mouth, I know that they are a lie. I wouldn't have been able to do anything. Back then I spend a lot of time moving around and being overseas, I wouldn't have had time for a child. Besides I had just signed up for another 10 years with the Rangers.

"Bullshit" Apparently there is no beating around the bush with her. "I have read your file, at least what Joe has been able to get his hands on...A baby was the last thing you needed back then...You would have maybe seen her once or twice a year, given money and expensive gifts to make up for your absence...so don't tell me you would have done something, because we both know that that is not true."

How is she reading me so well? "Who is Joe?" I ask, changing the subject, and drowning the rest of my drink.

"Julie's 'Uncle', even though he has become more of a father figure to her. He is a cop and my ex" She tells me in a softer tone.

"How did you meet Julie?" I question, top up my glass and walk back to the couch.

* * *

"How are you going to get home?" Steph asks, as she locks up the shop. It is now way past midnight and for the last several hours, she has filled me in about everything.

"I will get one of the guys to pick me up" I tell her, fish my phone out of my cargo pants, only to drop it on the ground. I must be more drunk than I thought.

"Let me…" She says and we both bend down at the same time, bumping heads along the way. "Owww…"

"I am sorry" I straighten and so does she. I cradle her face with both of my hands and turn her head slightly to inspect the spot. "Doesn't look like is going to leave a bump" I inform her.

"How movie cliché of us" she laughs. My insides warm a little at the sound and I am sure that the whisky has nothing to do with that.

"Could I get my face back?" She questions a little breathless. I quickly look down at my hands, which are still firmly attached to her head.

"Of course" I smile and release her, but not before running my thumb along her jaw and lips, which makes her breath hitch. She is incredibly attractive and I wouldn't mind taking her for a run between the sheets. However given the circumstances, that would be a very bad idea.

"Here you go" Steph bends down, grabs my phone and hands it to me. "I will wait with you."

I dial Lester, who picks up after the first ring. "This better be good!"

"Can you pick me up from Stephanie Plum's shop?" I question, foregoing any kind of greeting.

"What did you do cuz?" He asks with a suspicious undertone, while I hear clothes shuffling in the background and a female voice cursing me.

"I am a bit drunk...tell Nadia I am sorry" I inform him.

"Be there in 5" He replies and hangs up on me.

"Wow you guys don't have any phone manners do you?" Steph points out with a giggle.

"Too much time is wasted on the phone with polite chit chat...in my line of business these few seconds can mean life or death" I point out and her giggling instantly stops. "How are you getting home?"

"I will walk. It's a nice night." She answers.

"I will walk with you then…tell me your address, so I can get Lester to pick me up there" I say in a tone that leaves no room for arguments. I text Lester the address and motion for her to lead the way.

20 minutes later, we walk to the door of a red brick three story building. I have already spotted Lester in the parking lot, but I want to make sure she gets inside safely.

"I want to meet her" I blurt out, surprising myself.

"She is already asleep" Steph points out.

"Not tonight...but maybe on the weekend" I clarify.

"The way you reacted this afternoon hurt her...I don't think it is a good idea to do this again" she tells me and takes her keys out of her bag.

"Can you ask her? If she doesn't want to see me… fine, but if she does...don't stand in the way of it" I say and her head snaps up. If looks could kill, I would be dead right now.

"I would never stand in the way of the two of you meeting" She growls. "I can't believe you would accuse me of this."

"Well it would benefit you, wouldn't it?" _'Just shut up Ranger...you are making it worse'_ my inner voice tells me, but my mouth just doesn't agree. Damn Alcohol! "You want to adopt her and would need me to sign the papers...if I don't…me and Julie get along, well then you would lose her."

"How dare you?" Steph is radiating with anger.

"Your future with Julie all depends on if I sign those papers...so I'd say you should ask her if she wants to meet me" _'And you had to go and make it worse...idiot'._

I pride myself on my reflexes and observation skills, but I don't see Steph lifting her fist and neither do I see said fist moving towards my face. The only thing I feel is the pain after she hits me right on the jaw.

"SHIT" she shouts and shakes her hand in pain.

"Oh my god that was awesome to look at" Lester laughs, as he comes closer. I heard him get out of the car, as our argument got more heated. "You okay beautiful?"

"His face is like a rock" Steph remarks and my cousin starts laughing even more. I wiggle my jaw and feel my teeth with tongue. She packs one hell of a punch. It wouldn't have surprised me if she had knocked out a tooth or two.

"You deserved that" Les tells me and takes Steph's hand in his own. "That is broken." He comments.

"Crap...really not what I need right now" Her face shows that she is in lot of pain.

"Come on... I will take you to the hospital, where our company medic will meet you." Les says as he guides her towards the SUV. "It's the least I can do to make up for this dumbasses comments."

After getting Steph into the passenger seat, he turns around and slams the back door shut, which I had just opened "Mats 0500 with Tank" he says, before he walks around the car to the driver's side. With a sigh, I reopen the door and get in too.

I deserved the punch and whatever is coming for me tomorrow morning. I don't know what I was thinking. She did not deserve what I said. Not once tonight has she given any impression that she would fight me meeting my daughter or potentially having any kind of relationship with her. But now that I said all those things, I may have ruined any chance of that. If I even want a relationship with her, I am still unsure about that.

I have been too pre-occupied with my anger for Rachel, that I haven't even given a thought about what this all means, what my options are or what my next step could be. But now, that is all I can think about.

Should I sign the papers and get on with my life, forgetting that she ever existed? That option would be hard, as we bound to run into each other in Trenton and the thought alone doesn't sit well in my stomach.

Should I sign the papers and try to have a relationship of some sorts with Julie? Be a friend instead of a father, maybe even financially support Steph? Teenagers these days don't come cheap.

Or shouldn't I sign the papers and try to be a father to her? But then what would happen to Steph? It is clear she loves Julie. It would break her heart and that thought doesn't sit well with me either. Besides my life and the enemies I made throughout my career don't allow any personal relationships with anyone.

"You coming?" Lester looks at me expectantly, as he helps Steph out of the car. We are at the hospital and I can already see Bobby waiting at the entrance of the emergency room. I only answer with a nod and get out of the car.

* * *

I drown another bottle of water, my fourth liter in the last two hours, and look again at the door they took Steph through.

"I deserved that broken bone, she didn't" I remark, without looking away from the door.

"Yes you did" Lester agrees and hits the back of my head Gibbs style. "What were you thinking, saying those things to her?"

"I wasn't" I inform him, lowering my head in shame.

"So not like you" He comments and stands, as Bobby and Steph walk towards us.

"She has a closed boxer's fracture. A fracture of the fifth or pinkie metacarpal….it's on the top of her hand" Bobby explains. "Steph doesn't need surgery, but she will need to wear the splint for 6 weeks."

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" I question, as Bobby finishes his explanation. Steph nods in agreement.

I guide her outside, with Bobby and Lester trailing behind us. I assume Les will fill Bobby in, which means I will never hear the end of it.. "I am sorry, about all the things I said…I was drunk and didn't mean it" I apologize.

"No…You did mean it, but it is ok. This was just pushed onto you, who knows how I would react, if I was in your shoes…. I am not sorry I hit you though, you deserved it" Steph smiles.

"I am normally not like this…some have even called me a nice guy" I explain. Bobby and Les obviously overheard the last part and snort.

"Apparently those two disagree on the nice part" She laughs, gestures with her head towards the two men behind us. "Alcohol has a way of bringing out or innermost thoughts, believe me I have first-hand experience."

"That just teaches me to watch my alcohol consumption" I retort. "I know after what happened, you don't owe me anything, but I would really like to meet her…If Julie is interested."

"I will ask her" She nods and stifles a yawn.

"Time to go home" I guide her to the door and let Les drive her home, whilst I hitch a ride with Bobby.

* * *

 **Like it? Hated it? Leave a comment below!**


	3. The father Part 2

**Ranger's POV**

 _the next morning_

"You've had enough" Tank comments as I get in position again. We have been at it for a couple of hours now and are both dripping with sweat.

"Come on you big lug" I tease and Tank growls.

"Permítanme tomar vaya en él. Ganó't ser impertinente ya, después de que él me enfrentó (Let me take a go at him. He won't be this cheeky anymore, after he faced me)" Hector says with a grin from his spot on the treadmill.

"Usted lucha sucio. (You fight dirty)" I reply with a grin of my own. "La última vez que usted trajo sus blades. Tengo las cicatrices para demostrarlo (Last time you brought your blades. I have the scars to prove it)."

"Usted dijo que todo es un ir (You said everything is a go)" Hector shrugs.

"Deberíamos abrir nuestra propia versión de el club de la lucha (We should open our own version of fight club)" Zip comments.

"Estoy seguro de que nuestro seguro nos encantaría que (I am sure our insurance would love that)" I reply dryly and watch Tank closely. I don't want to be surprised by one of his attacks. I may be smaller and faster than him, but once he gets his big mass going, he is like a rhino.

"Y Madre Bobby tendrían un día de campo. (And Mother Bobby would have a field day)" Hector laughs, making the tear drops under his eyes dance.

* * *

"So last night didn't go so well" Tank comments as he enters my office a couple of hours later. We ended up going another couple of rounds, before calling it quits. Apparently all the employees watched us spar, when they should have watched the monitors. Les and Bobby told us both, in no uncertain terms to knock it off to prevent crimes from happening at the properties we protect.

"Not really" I admit.

"I ran a background check on Miss Plum." My best friend informs me and I shoot him a grateful look. I would have done that eventually, but I was just too wrapped up in my own emotional turmoil to even think of that yesterday. I am glad Tank is looking out for me. "She is thirty years old, was a BEA, before she started fostering Julie."

"She told me about that." I acknowledge.

"Julie is doing very well in school and Miss Plum is running a successful business with a Lula Jackson, a former prostitute, turned filer for Vinnies, turned Lingerie seller." Tank reads from the file.

"Both her parents are still alive, a sister who is married and a grandmother who has been arrested a bunch of times by causing trouble at Stivas...all live in Trenton" Tank goes on. "Miss Plum has been married once, but divorced shortly after. The guy left her with nothing. She dated Trenton Detective Joseph Morelli on and off for a while, before they split just before she took Julie in.

Word around town is they are admirable towards each other and the Detective is part of Julie's regular live, as is his girlfriend and parents."

"Thank you" I nod. "Most of that I knew. She told me all about it yesterday."

"Listen…if by some miracle, after last night's FURBAR mission, you are going to meet your daughter, make sure you are approachable" Tank suggests.

"You think I am not approachable?" I raise an eyebrow in question.

"You know what I mean…" Tank isn't really good with words and only talks when he has to. "You always wear you blank face…"

"So do you" I quickly point out.

"…Difference is, I am already married with a child, you on the other hand are so closed off that no woman ever stays more than a night." He retorts.

"You know the reason why that is" I shoot him a pointed look.

"Point is...if you want to make some kind of connection with your daughter or the woman that wants to adopt her, loose the blank face...let them in...I am not saying that you become Mr. Open-all-the-goddamn-time, but around them, give it a try." And with that he stands and leaves the room.

* * *

 **Steph's POV**

"What happened to you?" Julie nearly shouts, as she sees my wrist the next morning.

"I may or may not have punched your father" I answer, as if it is not a big deal.

"YOU WHAT?" This time she does shout and immediately grabs my hand to inspect it.

"OWWW…watch it" I quickly retract my arm, as pains jolts from my wrist.

"Sorry…why did you punch him?" Julie questions and eyes me with suspicion. I sit down at the kitchen table and try to pour myself a bowl of cereal very awkwardly with my left hand, until Julie has enough and does it for me.

"He came by the shop last night and afterwards he walked me home…he said a few things that I didn't like and…well you know…I went into rhino mode" I shrug.

"OH MY GOD…He walked you home" Julie screeches. "Mom…do you like him?"

"Seriously…that is what you want to talk about? Not about what he said to make me punch him?" I ask baffled.

"Pfft…I know how you can get….you once punched the Rangers mascot for saying Marc Staal is better than Ryan McDonagh..." she points out.

"That guy had it coming...how can he be the mascot and have no clue about ice hockey?" I exclaim.

"So do you like him?" Julie probes, ignoring my comment.

"Julieeee" I sigh. "He is very attractive…basically sex on…"

"EWWWW too much information" Julie screeches and covers her ears.

"You asked…I answered" I shrug once more. "He wants to meet you though…would you be interested?"

She stays silent, while she finishes her own bowl of cereal. "I don't know" she finally answers.

"Take your time" I tell her and finish my breakfast too.

As we start clearing the table, she stops and looks at me a little vary. "Are you sure he wants to meet me? He wasn't too happy to find out about me yesterday."

I drop the bowls into the sink, before pulling her into a hug. "He said he would love to, but he left it up to you. But you should know that he didn't know you existed. Your mother never told him that she had you. Which of course is not an excuse to get him off the hook, because he should have made a better effort to find out if she got the abortion…so whatever you decide, I have your back." With that I let go of her and leave the kitchen.

Today is Saturday, Julie doesn't need to go to school and I don't have to go to work. And because it is summer and a sunny day, we will go to Point Pleasant, with my childhood friend Mary Lou, her kids and a couple of Julie's girlfriends.

* * *

"Ok…I will meet him" Julie agrees suddenly, later that night, as we are lying on the couch watching TV. She got a nice tan today, where as I burned my face into a lobster colour. It really isn't fair. "But only if you are there."

"All right then, I will set it up." I nod and take out my phone to text Ranger. ' _ **She agreed to see you, but only with me there. When do you wanna meet?'**_

Only seconds later, my phone vibrates with a text from him. ' _ **Next Weekend? There is a farmer's market in Philly, we could drive out there together?'**_

"He suggests a farmers market in Philly next weekend" I look at Julie, to see if she likes the idea.

"Sure" She only nods, without looking away from the TV.

' _ **Agreed. 10am?'**_ I write back.

' _ **Ok. How is the hand?'**_ I receive as answer.

' _ **Still in a little pain, but I will live...for future references, if I need to hit you again, which part of your head or body is softer than you jaw?'**_

Truth be told I am a little nervous about what this means for me and Julie. I love her to bits, but what if her real parents don't want to give up their rights? Until I met Ranger I didn't really think of that, because I figured they didn't want Julie then, so they wouldn't want her now. But now that he wants to meet her and potentially have a relationship with her, it worries me.

I came to the conclusion, that the main thing is that Julie is happy. It doesn't matter what I want.

* * *

 **Ranger's POV**

 _later that afternoon_

"This is a Surprise" my father says as he opens the door.

"Hi Dad" I nod at him.

"Come in" He steps away and lets me pass. He is still the tall, broad shouldered rock that I remember from when I was a kid. Ricardo Manoso was always hard, but fair and loved us all equally, just like my mother Rosa did and still does.

The last time I was here, was 6 months ago, when I just moved to Trenton to set up the new branch. Back then my mother had voiced the wish for me to come home to dinner more often, but I was so busy that I either always forgot or had to cancel, just like I had done since I left for the army. My father had to order me to come home a few times, because I was upsetting my mother.

"Carlos, what a surprise…" My mother jumps up from the couch and envelopes me into a hug. I have long outgrown her and now I am nearly two heads taller than her. "Did something happen? Anyone die?" She probes with a heavy Cuban accents, as she lets go of me.

"No Mamá, no one died, but I came to tell you something. Could we sit down?" I ask, as I guide my mother back to the couch. My father sits down next to her and mutes the TV. "15 years ago I met this girl Rachel. We had a one night stand and she got pregnant….let me finish" I say before my father has time to interrupt. "She told me just before I was shipping out to Ranger training and we decided it was best that she didn't go through with it.

However, I found out a couple of days ago that she didn't get an abortion and that we have a daughter, called Julie."

"How did you find out?" My Dad questions. "And why didn't we know about this?"

"I didn't want to tell you back then, because at the time I was handling it and I knew you would have been disappointed. I tried getting in touch with her after I was stateside again, but her number changed and the letters came back unanswered." I explain. "I found out because the woman who is fostering Julie, Stephanie Plum, contacted me. She wants me and Rachel to sign away our rights, so that she can adopt Julie."

"I hope you are not seriously thinking of signing away your rights?" My mom asks angrily. "Don't abandon your child."

"You know how demanding my job at Rangemen is and that I am not done with missions, so I want to do what is right for Julie. If this means signing away my rights to give her a stable life and a family she has never had, I will do just that…not that I need to rectify my decisions to you" I say a little harsher than intended. "I came here because I thought you would like to know that you have a grandchild."

"Son, whatever you decide we will support you. But I think you should explore all your options. Support Julie maybe financially?" my father suggests.

"They don't want my money, that's what they made clear from the beginning." I sigh and lean back in the one seater.

"And you sure she is yours?" My mother questions.

"She looks like me as a teenager. There is no denying our relation." I tell them. "She has been through so much. Julie never stayed long in one foster family, one worse than the other…"

"And this Stephanie..?" My mom looks at me for confirmation of the name and I nod. "Stephanie… is better?"

"Much better. She gave up her old job for Julie. She gave her a stable life and her family cares about Julie." I inform them.

"Like I said, son, whatever you will decide we will support you. But I think I speak for us both, when I say, we would like to meet her." My father says.

"Sure...but I don't want to rush it. I haven't even met her yet properly" I tell them.

"We can wait" My mother says and pats my hand.

* * *

 **Steph's POV**

 _Next Saturday_

"Alright, let's hit the road" I clap my hands and walk towards the black Porsche Carrera.

I just had to watch the most awkward greeting between two people. Neither Ranger nor Julie knew what to do. Ranger stuck out his hand and just as Julie was about to take it, Ranger changed his mind and enveloped her into a weird hug. To add to the awkwardness, he clapped her on her back, as he let her go. I had to look away to not start laughing.

"Your mom, uhh Steph, said that you like doughnuts, tasty cakes and so on…so I got you a bunch of different stuff" Ranger looks at Julie through the rear view mirror, as we drive away from our building. "It's in the back, behind the passenger seat."

"Thank you" Julie smiles and immediately grabs the bag from behind my seat. "Ohhh Boston crème…our favourites."

"Thanks for the intel" Ranger mutters and smiles gratefully at me. Today he is dressed in black shorts, black sneakers and a plain loose fitting blue t-shirt, with black sunglasses guarding his eyes. Basically he looks good enough to eat.

"You are welcome" I nod, stretch an arm back and wiggle my fingers at Julie. "Hon…how about you share…?"

"There are only six in here" She mumbles, with her mouth full of doughnut.

"I figured six were plenty…" he shoots me a slightly worried look. I am happy to see that he seems to have left his blank face at home today.

"Ha…together we could kill a dozen doughnuts" Julie laughs and digs into her second one. "Do you want one?"

"So he gets one and I don't?" I question in mock anger.

"Ranger bought the doughnuts, so yes he does." Julie informs me, but as she tries to hand him one he just shakes his head. Instead I snatch the doughnut from her and quickly take a bite, before he can change his mind.

"I don't really eat that stuff…and please call me Ric," He declines.

"Oh…ok your loss" Julie shrugs and glares at me "You are not getting any of these tasty cakes."

"What do you mean you don't eat that stuff?" I question, before taking another bite out the doughnut. He went all out and got the good stuff too.

"I need to stay fit and healthy and that stuff can kill you" he nods towards the half eaten treat in my hand.

"So what do you eat?" I probe.

"Healthy…you know vegetables, nothing deep fried…" he answers.

"So you eat rabbit food?" Julie enquiries from the back, drowning her third doughnut.

"And what you mean that stuff can kill you? It has all the nutritious value you need…depending on the doughnut of course" I add with a smirk.

"Not rabbit food, just healthy" Ranger corrects Julie.

"Urgg that sounds awful" Julie shudders, making us laugh.

* * *

As we get to Philly, we walk through the farmer's market and instead of having lunch there, we chose to go to Max Brenner's Chocolate themed Restaurant. After much pestering we even convinced Ranger to get a burger.

"Congratulations" The waitress smiles at me, as she clears our table. "How far are you along?"

"Excuse me?" I look at her confused.

"You are expecting right?" She questions and points at my stomach.

"No…this is actually fat. I have to pack on for winter, so I don't freeze to death" I answer deadpanned with a bright smile. On that note Ranger and Julie lose their battle against the laughter and double over.

"Oh…I am so sorry" The waitress apologizes and quickly hurries away with a red face.

"Ohh Mom…" Julie laughs, almost falls of her chair.

"That poor woman" Ranger shakes his head and wipes the tears away from his face. "I haven't laughed like this in a while."

* * *

"So what about dinner?" Ranger questions quietly, just as we pass the 'Welcome to Trenton' sign. After we left the restaurant, we went to The Philadelphia Magic Garden, where I haven't been since I was a child. All in all it was a great day and Julie and Ranger got along quite well.

"I heard food" Julie's head snaps up and she rubs her eyes.

"Apparently she wasn't as asleep as I thought" Ranger smiles. As soon as we got into the car her eyelids dropped and she was fast asleep.

"Nah, that is pretty normal. She can be dead to the world, but as soon as someone mentions food, she is wide awake….she really should be 300 pounds, with what she stuffs in herself" I laugh and look at my daughter.

"You are worse than me" Julie exclaims from the backseat. "So dinner?"

* * *

 **Loved it? Hated it? Let me know**


	4. The Mother

**Authors note:**

 **Thank you very much for all the comments.**

 **I am happily surprised that this AU has gotten so many likes and views.**

 **Hope you enjoy this chapter as well.**

 **Erdi**

* * *

 **Steph's POV**  
 _one month later_

"FINALLY" Joe exclaims dramatically, as we walk towards the security check point in the airport. "What took you guys so long?"

"They changed their minds about what to pack, like 50 times" Ranger shakes his head.

"Rookie mistake...always, always take away their suitcases the night before. That way they can't change their minds" Joe advises, as the two men shake hands.

"Come on...let's goooo" Julie calls out from the line at the security check.

"First you take too long and now you are rushing?" Ranger shakes his head and smiles.

"If Tank hadn't driven like a grandpa, we wouldn't have to rush now" Julie retorts with a smile of her own.

"I shall tell him that when I speak to him later" Ranger advises her and stands next to her in line. I tune out their banter and look at Joe.

"Don't" I warn him, knowing exactly that he has been waiting for an opportunity like this to give Ranger a talking to.

"What are you talking about?" Joe questions with an innocent look on his face.

"Please...you know exactly what..." I hiss "You forget that I have known you my whole life Joseph Morelli...you can't hide anything from me…"

He winces at his full name and says "I still don't know what you are on about" with a neutral expression.

"Pfftt...please...you don't even have to be here...coming with us to Miami...yet you convinced Ranger and Julie to take you along...I am onto you…" I poke him in his chest to make my point.

"Owww...Jesus you should get those nails registered as a weapon…" He cries and rubs the spot with a grimace on his face. "You are paranoid Steph. I just want to be there for Julie. Lord knows how this will go with her mother. I have a bad feeling about this"

"Maybe...but you also want to give him the 'if you hurt them, I will make your life miserable speech'" I say and put my carry-on on the conveyor belt. Ranger and Julie are already waiting for us on the other side.

"Who says I haven't already done that?" Joe questions, just before I walk through the metal detector.

"Intuition" I tell him, as we both put our shoes back on and gather our things from the conveyor belt. "Just don't ruin this for Julie...Ranger and her have been getting on so well…"

"I promise I won't...he just needs to know that he can't just change his mind in a few months….that there will be consequences if he hurts either one of you." he declares.

"You mean if he hurts Julie" I correct him.

"No I mean the both of you…I have seen the way you two look at each other…every time I fear that something will blow up" Joe retorts.

"I haven't blown up things in ages" I quip with a slight sulk. "I know you mean well and are very sweet, but we can watch out for ourselves...besides I haven't brought the subject of him signing the papers up again...I want to wait and see what happens." I explain.

"Just don't wait too long Cupcake" Joe warns, just as we join Ranger and Julie, who are still in a heated discussion over Tank's driving skills.

* * *

"Thank you for paying for all of this" I say and gesture around the first class cabin. "You really didn't have to do that...or coming with us for that matter."

"You are welcome" Ranger smiles at me. "And yes I had to…I followed your wishes and I didn't contact her, but I do want to talk to her about all of this. I am angry as hell that she didn't tell me. Besides this gives me some time to show Julie where I used to live and I have to check in with our Miami Branch as well. This way I can kill multiple birds with one stone" he elaborates.

"Fair enough...listen...Joe may be giving you a talking to and I want to apologize upfront. He can be a little...overprotective" I explain.

"Good" He simply replies and hands me a glass of champagne, which the Stewardess just given to him.

"What do you mean 'good'?" I look at him with a puzzled expression.

"I would be concerned if he didn't. He cares for you and Julie. He is like a father to her, of course he would give me a talking to. I would to the same...you know a la Martin Lawrence and Will Smith in Bad Boys 2...but yeah I get it" Ranger shrugs.

"Men" I shake my head and look out the window. The sun is shining above the grey clouds below us, which makes me smile. This is a view I never get tired off.

"It's not just a men thing...you are fiercely protective of Julie...I saw it that night you punched me." Ranger comments softly and leans closer. His breath tickles my ear, my heart skips a beat and as I take a deep breath to calm myself his Bulgary scent makes it all worse.

"It's not fair that you smell so good" I say, before I can stop myself.

Ranger chuckles and moves away from me. He is right though. I am very protective when it comes to Julie.

* * *

"WOW" Julie's mouth falls open and her eyes grow big as we enter the large house. "This is yours?"

"Yes" Ranger simply answers and places our bags next to the door.

"Well I be damned...seems like I chose the wrong profession" Joe mutters.

From the outside it is like any two story building on Indian Creek Island, but from the inside it is breath taking. The front entrance is one big open space, painted white, with large red-brown coloured tiles and two stairs, left and right, leading to the top level.

I walk through the white doors, which have been left open and connect the entrance with the rest of the house, and find myself in the living room. The floor to ceiling windows, show a nice back yard with a pool, a fire pit, an outside sitting area and a nice view of the skyline of Miami. The living room itself is held in light colours, with a few colourful paintings on the walls and brightly coloured pillows on the couches.

To my right is a small bar and another open door, also white, which seems to be leading to the kitchen and dining area.

"This place is amazing" I say as I turn around to face Ranger.

"Thank you...but I really can't take the credit...my sister Celia is an Architect. She designed this place from top to bottom...I just handed over the money" He explains and opens the glass doors.

"So you still own this even though you now live in Trenton?" Joe questions.

"Yes. We use it for when the core team needs to come to Miami for any length of time." Ranger replies, slides his sunglasses over his eyes and walks outside.

"Do you have to be here a lot?" Julie probes and steps outside after him.

"Every six months I do a tour of each of the branches. To see if there are any problems" He informs her. "To see if there need anything and sometimes even if we have a huge group new recruits." He adds and sits down in one of the pool chairs.

"Ok…I don't know about you…but I am going to change and jump into that pool." I announce and walk back inside, with Julie hot on my heels.

"I will show you your bedrooms." Ranger says, leaving Joe alone outside.

* * *

 **Joe's POV**

I sit down on the pool chair Ranger just vacated and slide my sunglasses over my eyes.

It's been a bit of a roller coaster over the past month since Julie has met Ranger. She is spending more and more time with him and hasn't had much time for me.

I do get it, but it stings a little. Ranger obviously has enough money to buy her everything she wants and needs. He will be able to send her to college or University too, something neither I nor Stephanie can afford easily on our meagre earnings.

"They are just getting changed" Ranger informs me as he comes back outside and sits in the other chair. He has taken of his shirt and is now only wearing flip flops and board shorts. I am no chump, but looking at him makes me wanna hit the gym instantly. "You want to change too?"

"In a moment…" I say and turn towards him. "Listen…There is something I have been meaning to say to you."

"Okay, let's hear it" He swing his legs over the side of the chair, so that he faces me.

"I get this all came as a shock to you, but Julie as been through enough and if you don't plan to stick around you better tell her upfront." I tell him "I have done some digging, well people who owed me some favours did the digging, and discovered that you are still doing Black Ops, sometimes lasting well over a year."

"I have been in deep cover…and all I am asking is for you to not bring that shit into Steph's house, if you even decide to stick around. You seem like a nice guy and so am I, but when it comes to Steph and Julie, you do not want to see my ugly side. I can and will make your life a living hell."

"Understood" He nods. "I looked into you as well. You have stopped doing undercover work as Julie came to live with Steph. Why? You two weren't dating anymore."

"We weren't suited as a couple and better off as friends. Steph needed support, Julie a constant father like figure and we may not be dating any more, but I will always love Steph. Julie and I clicked and as an undercover job came up, I just knew I couldn't leave either one of them behind." I reply honestly.

"I am not looking to replace you, no matter how involved I will be in Julie's life." Ranger assures me.

"Good. So we understand each other?" I questions. He simply nods and leans his head back onto the chair, at the same time as Steph and Julie step out of the house behind us. Both clad in bikinis. "Jesus Julie, you couldn't find a bikini that had more fabric?"

"Uncle Joe" she grins, drops her towel and jumps right into the pool, splashing water on me and Ranger in the process.

"It's on" I shout, take of my shirt, dump my phone and wallet and jump in after her.

* * *

 **Steph's POV**

"Sometimes it is like dealing with two kids" I laugh and sit down the in the chair Joe just freed up.

"He loves her" Ranger remarks.

"Yes he does." I nod and start applying sun screen.

"Let me help you" Ranger says and before I can decline his offer, he has already taken the sunscreen out of my hand. "Turn on your belly" he adds gruffly. I do as I am told and a second later the cool sunscreen lotion hits my back, making me yelp a little. "I am not looking to replace him. Julie loves him just as much, as he loves her."

"Joe knows that" I assure him, with little confidence. Joe sees Julie as his first child. Even though we haven't talked about it, I know it must not be easy for him that her biological father is in the picture now.

"He may know it, but I don't think he feels that way" Ranger answers and starts applying lotion with his hands on my shoulders. Once he is done up there he moves on to my upper and lower back and finally my legs.

I just close my eyes and relish the feeling of his hands on my body. He is careful not to touch me anywhere inappropriate, but that still doesn't keep my mind from wandering to a very different, more private scenario.

By the time he finishes, I feel all riled up and horny. I am not saying that I haven't slept with any one since Julie has come to live with me, but it hasn't been on a regular basis. The last time was several months ago with someone in Philly. A one night stand to be precise.

"You sure know how use your hands to apply lotion" I tell him, without looking at him.

"I can do a lot more things with my hands than apply lotion…" He whispers, making the inappropriate scenarios in my head re-appear.

* * *

 _The next afternoon_

"Ok…ready?" I question Julie, just like I did a month ago before we met Ranger. However this time Julie doesn't look as nervous. Maybe the way things worked out with her father made her a little less nervous.

"Let's do this" she nods and together we get out of the Rangemen issued SUV. This one of course is black too.

"We will be right here waiting" Joe assures Julie, before she closes the car door and walks around to my side.

I nod at Ranger and Joe, who have agreed to stay in the car until we have gotten the introduction part over with, before closing the car door. Julie and I walk together up the foot path to the modest two story house.

Once we get to the front door, I take one glance at Julie, before pressing the bell. A bad feeling spreads in my stomach and suddenly I think that this is not such a good idea after all.

It doesn't take long for a dog to start barking and it only stops as a woman tells him or her to be quite. Seconds later the door opens and a beautiful, skinny woman, with brown hair and skin whiter than my own appears in front of us. "Can I help you?"

"Uh yes…I am Stephanie and this is Julie. May we come in? We have something to tell you that is best discussed in private." I tell her and after a few contemplating seconds she steps away to let us in.

"What is this about?" Rachel questions, once she closed the door, and crosses her arms in front her. She eyes Julie, before given her whole attention to me.

"Mrs Martinez, Julie is your daughter" I say, ripping the band aid right off. "I am going to adopt her and as you never signed away your rights, we require your signature" I explain and wince. I probably could have chosen my words a little more careful.

"You have the wrong person…my daughter was adopted right after the birth" Rachel snaps back and eyes us with suspicion.

"I am sorry, I probably should have chosen my words a little better… Julie's adoption fell through and she was handed off to social services, as they could not get a hold of you or the father" I advise her in a softer tone. "She spend 13 years in different foster families until I found her on the streets three years ago."

"So you are after money?" She questions rudely. Out of my peripheral vision I can see Julie's face turn sour and disappointed.

"No Rachel…." I start, but she interjects.

"It's Mrs Martinez"

"Mrs. Martinez" I start again and take a deep breath "As just explained, we just want you to sign the papers to release your rights to Julie" I say through gritted teeth. This woman is starting to piss me off.

Just then the door opens and a man in a well fitted suit walks through the door, with a five year old boy on is arm. This must be Rachel's husband Ron. "Oh hey…I didn't know we had company."

"They are just leaving" Rachel assures him and holds the door open for us.

"Oh ok. Have a good day" Ron smiles at us, before disappearing further into the house.

"You have a number I can contact you on regarding those papers?" Rachel snaps.

"Sure" I nod, just as Julie walks out the door without another word. I finally find my business cards and hand one to Rachel. "You can reach me on my cell. Have a good day" I say and follow Julie, who has long gotten into the car.

"What happened?" Ranger and Joe question in unison, as I get into the car too.

"Just drive" I tell them and take Julie's hand in mine. She staring out of the window. She stays quite the whole way back to the house and as we get back, she locks herself into her room.

"What happened in there?" Ranger asks as he joins Joe and me in the living room. He tried to talk to Julie, even though I told him to give her a moment alone. She will come out once she is ready to talk.

"Rachel was less than happy to see Julie. In fact she was quite rude…I should have called her first, I shouldn't have taken Julie there….It is my fault." I tell them.

"If I remember correctly I was quite rude to you and her as well as we met at your shop…give her some time to get over the initial shock." Ranger says.

"I think Julie just got her hopes up, after everything went so well with you. I shouldn't have put her through this" I put my head into my hands and shake my head.

"Listen…this is not on you…I think we all had high hopes about this meeting" Joe confesses.

"I will talk to Rachel" Ranger decides and I instantly shake my head.

"No! She said she will call me. So let's wait and see." In that same moment my phone rings. Looking at the caller ID it shows a Miami area code. "Hello?"

"This is Rachel Martinez" The woman on the other end replies. "Can we meet tomorrow? So I can sign those papers?"

"Are you sure? Do you not want to sleep it over...I know it must be a shock for you, to see her after such long time" I say, as Ranger and Joe inch closer to hear the conversation.

"No, I don't need to. So tomorrow?" Rachel replies in a stern voice.  
Ranger quickly types something on his phone and shows it to me. _'3 o'clock Rangemen'_

I relay the message to Rachel and she hangs up without uttering goodbye.

"I will attend that meeting with you" Ranger says instantly, his voice indicating that he won't budge. "and Julie stays here."

"Let her make that decision…" If she wants to face her biological mother again, she can. I would be the last person that would keep her from doing so. Besides, against my gut instinct, I am secretly hoping that Rachel will change her mind.

"I agree with Steph…let Julie decide if she wants to come along." Joe nods.

"What decision should I make?" Julie questions as she walks into the living room. As she comes closer I tug her down onto the couch right next to me.

"Your mother…" I start, but Julie interrupts me.

"She is not my mother" She says stubbornly and Ranger's eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

"…Rachel called. She is going to meet with me tomorrow afternoon at Rangemen. Ranger wants you to stay here, but I think you should make your own decision." I explain.

She is quite for a long time, before she answers "Can I think about it?" We all nod in unison. "Good…I am hungry, what are we having for dinner?"

"BBQ?" Ranger suggests.

* * *

 _The next day_

"It looks just like the Trenton office…boring, lifeless…" Julie comments as we walk back into Ranger's office. He had to work a little, while Aiden, the Branch Manager and Bobby's cousin, showed Julie, Joe and me around. "Wouldn't you think so?"

"We are not lifeless…we are always full of life in this office" Aiden replies.

"But because the boss himself is here, everyone is keeping their heads down, am I right?" I laugh. I have seen what Ranger's presence can do to a room full of badass men. One minute there is laughter and pranks, the next everyone is quite and tries not to stick out of the crowd.

"He wouldn't say so, even if he agreed" Joe laughs as well and Aiden slams his blank face in place.

"You know I am right here!" Ranger comments and looks up from his paperwork with an amused look on his face.

"Oh hey there…didn't see you there" Julie says with mock surprise, as Ranger walks gets up and walks towards us.

"Boss" Aiden nods.

"So you don't like our offices?" Ranger looks at Julie with an raised eyebrow.

"All boring and lifeless...everything is black, grey or stainless steel. There is no colour at all" She answers.

"And that is my cue to go" Aiden says and retreats.

"It is designed for efficiency, not looks" Ranger explains.

"Yeah, we can see that" I mutter, making Julie and Joe laugh.

* * *

"Boss, a Rachel Martinez is here to see Miss Plum" a tall, very handsome and muscular Rangemen with a very deep voice, informs Ranger as we are sitting in the Staff break room. We were hungry and the food in the break room looked and smelled really delicious, that Julie and I couldn't help it but to help ourselves. The Rangemen looked quite strangely at Ranger as he came to join us. Apparently he always eats at his apartment upstairs or in his office, or so I have been told.

"Please, call me Steph" I interject before Ranger can say anything.

"Thanks Jose…bring her to conference room one and get Mr Morelli from the gun range." Ranger orders.

Joe got into an argument about guns with Aiden, who is a trained sniper, and next thing I knew they went off to the gun range, as Aiden revealed he had a very rare second world war gun. Don't ask me which one, I tuned out as they started that conversation.

"Copy that" Jose nods and leaves.

"Is one of your hiring requirements that the men have to be insanely handsome?" I voice the one question I have been wondering since I stepped for the first time into the Trenton Branch.

"Mom…" Julie shakes her head.

"Come on…It's a valid question…I mean look at these guys" I look at my daughter with a smile. "I saw you staring at one of the younger guys earlier on."

"No it is not a requirement…and aren't you a little young to be interested in…boys?" Ranger questions with a grimace on his face.

"Not you too" Julie and I groan at the same time.

"That's what I said" Joe adds his two cents to the conversation as he joins us at our table.

"Joe…you got the nickname Italian Stallion at the age of 14 and had a new girlfriend every other day…so I don't think you should be making these comments" I point out.

"Well that is different" Ranger adds.

"Because he is a male and Julie female?" I ask louder than I intended and the whole break room goes quite. I glare at the two men in front of me and dare them to say another word, but they keep quite. "I thought so…" I add with a bit of triumph in my voice, before I stand. "Let's go...Rachel is waiting."

We all walk into the conference room together and Rachel's eyes grow wide at the sight of Ranger. "Carlos" she breathes. I know that his middle name is Carlos, but he told me a while back that he hates that name and I didn't think that anyone was a allowed to call him that. Carlos is the name of his godfather, who later turned out to be a murderer and rapist.

"Rachel" he nods at her and we all take a seat. Rachel on one side, the four of us opposite of her.

"This is Joseph Morelli, he is Julie's 'Uncle'." I explain, gesturing towards Joe.

"So the papers?" Rachel asks, getting right to the point.

"You haven't changed your mind?" I ask and slide the papers, as well as pen across the table towards her. She quickly looks them over before signing them without another word.

"So that is it? You just going to sign your rights away to our daughter?" Ranger questions a little baffled.

"Yes…I have a family now and she isn't my daughter." Rachel states and I take Julie's hand into mine for support. " Now that I have signed this..." She adds and taps the papers in front of her. "I don't want to have anything to do with you people...no contact, or I will involve my lawyer."

* * *

 **Ranger's POV**

I can't believe what I am hearing. "How could you not tell me that you went through with the pregnancy?" I ask in a calm controlled manner, even though I would love to jump over the table and shake her. "I could have done something."

"You shipped out and left me to deal with this." Rachel exclaims and stands "I was too far along to get an abortion. I had to go through with this alone…I tried getting hold of you, but the army denied you existed. Family services came to see me after the adoption fell through, but I declined. I was only 18, had a whole life ahead of me and my parents didn't want me to ruin my life for a child. Besides neither you nor me were old enough to raise a kid."

I am just about to jump out of my seat, as Joe puts a hand on my shoulder keeping me down.

"Instead you ruined my life" Julie says quietly, making all of us look at her. "I went from foster family to foster family, one worse than the other. I didn't even know what a mother or father or family are supposed to be like until I met Steph and Joe. I am glad you gave me up. I would have hated being the target of your hatred, because I screwed up your life." With that Julie stands, grabs the papers and leaves the room.

"I will make sure she is alright" Steph says and leaves the room to.

"How could you do this?" I look at Rachel with disgust. "That girl has been through enough…fair enough you don't want to have anything to do with her, but do you have to be that nasty?...god you haven't changed at all."

"You know nothing about me…this is as much your fault as it is mine." Rachel grabs her bag and walks towards the door.

"I tried to get in touch, I sent a letter…tried to call you…" I inform her.

"It doesn't matter now…I ought to be going…Ron is waiting for me to come home." She replies.

"Once you walk out of that door, you cannot change your mind" I threatened, but she ignores me and walks out of the door.

* * *

 **Steph's POV**

Once again the drive home is very quite. Julie is just staring out the window and the rest of us are shooting her worried glances now and then.

As she left the conference room, I found her in Ranger's office playing with her phone. She didn't say anything then either. I figured that I would just wait her out, but slowly I am starting to worry.

As soon as Ranger parks the car in his driveway, Julie 's shoulders start shaking. I shoot the two men a pointed look and they both get silently out of the car. "Come here" I release her seat belt, as well as my own, before tugging her closer. The second her face is buried in my shoulder, she starts sobbing.

Eventually the sobs die down and she lies her head into my lap. I release her pony tail and start combing her hair with my fingers. I saw it once in a movie and I adapted it for whenever Julie is upset. It has something motherly and calming, two words I never thought I would ever associate with myself. Eventually her breathing evens out and she falls asleep.

I lean my head against the cool window and let my mind drift back to a couple of hours prior. I cannot believe how that woman acted. Julie is her daughter, how can she be so nasty and rude to her own flesh and blood? We should have called ahead first, it was stupid of me to think it would work out the same as with Ranger.

Julie wouldn't have had to come face to face with her. I could have spared her some of the hurt. It pains me to see her crying.

Suddenly the car door opens and Ranger and Joe are looking at us with concern. "Hey…is she okay?" Ranger whispers and I just shake my head in response.

"Want me to take her inside?" Joe asks and I nod, before he carefully picks her up and carries her into the house.

I only now notice that it has already gone dark, which means we sat at least a couple of hours in the car. Ranger offers me his hand and helps me out. Sometime ago, my legs fell asleep and they are starting to tingle all over now. "How are you?" he questions, as we walk into the house together.

"I am okay" I answer and sit down on the couch. "Can't say the same for Julie though...she is devastated and it is my fault."

"I have to agree with Joe's statement yesterday...We all had high hopes. We all wanted it to go well for Julie. But she is tough and she will get through this." Ranger assures me, as he sits down next to me.

"What are you going to do?" I ask, before I can stop myself.

Ranger sighs and stands again. "My life is complicated, busy and very dangerous. Which means I cannot be a full time dad. I really like her and we have a lot in common, but I have a contract with the government. Before you two came a long I signed on for another three years. I could be called away at a moment's notice."

"So you will sign away your rights?" I probe, but something about it is not sitting well with me.

"That maybe the best. I want to be involved in her life, but there is always a possibility that I won't make it home from one of my missions." He explains. "If signing away my rights will mean she will be taken care of and not be put back into foster care, if something happens to me, then so be it."

"I will talk to Dickie...maybe we can find another solution." I assure him. Grateful that we finally cleared that up.

* * *

 **Ranger's POV**

"Hey" I knock on Julie's bedroom door, before I walk in.

"Hey" She nods, without looking up from her phone.

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" I ask and sit down on her bed.

"Sure" She sets her phone aside and gives me her full attention.

"I am sorry what happened with your…with Rachel" I really don't know how Rachel just simply can deny Julie. Julie looks as much like her as she does like me. "We should have known that it may not go over as desired" I say and swallow hard. This isn't easy for me. "…I want to be honest with you Julie.

You know that my job isn't the safest. Every time I go out there, I may not come back. Steph certainly gives you more stability than I ever could, so I will relinquish my rights, if that will grantee me that you are in good hands…But that does not mean that I don't want to stay in touch with you or that I don't ever want to see you again. I just won't be able to attend a lot of school functions, family gatherings or even your birthdays." But I will make sure that I always have time for her whenever I am in town.

"Okay" Julie nods again, seemingly appreciating my honesty, and I pull her up and into my arms. "Have you told mom all of this?"

"Yes" I assure her, as I pull away. "Your Mom will talk to Dickie, to see if there is another way. But obviously before we finalize anything we will tell you about it." I add.

"Do you like my mom?" she questions. "I mean like…like like."

"Come on…let's get some dinner" I say and pull her off the bed.

"Avoiding the question huh?" She laughs.

* * *

"We are going to go down to the beach, throw a Frisbee" Joe informs me and Steph after dinner, as he and Julie get up from the table.

"Have fun" Steph calls out as she picks up her plate and carries it to the dishwasher.

"Care to join me for a drink outside?" I ask, as I get two wine glasses out of the cupboard.

"Sure" She nods. "I will be right out. I just need to put these into the machine."

"Leave them, We can do that later" I grab her good hand and lead her outside. Once we sit, I pour us each a generous glass of white wine.

"Thank you" She says as she accepts her glass.

"I have told Julie about our conversation earlier. I hope that was ok" I inform her.

"Of course...she needs to know" Steph nods. "I would have called Dickie already, but he is on holiday. He won't be home for another two weeks."

"We still have a couple of days here in Miami. Let's do something fun tomorrow" I suggest and Steph nearly chokes on her wine.

"I have heard that your fun includes someone ending up with broken limbs or a few more holes in them...I don't think that is appropriate for a teenager." She retorts.

"I don't think I like you and Lester hanging out...he tells you far too many things about me" I shoot back. "And there don't need to be real bullets involved. "Ever gone paintballing?"

"Ok...if we do that, you and Joe will only be allowed one magazine of bullets. It's hardly fair to me and Julie otherwise." Steph insists.

"Fine" I huff in mock annoyance, making her laugh.

My life certainly has become more louder and filled with a lot more laughter.

Before I would work out, eat, work, sleep and repeat it all over the next day. Occasionally I would fuck some random woman I would pick up in the bar, to have some sort of interaction with the other sex. But apart from that I didn't really live. I didn't take holidays, sick days or whatever other days the law gives to you when you are working.

Since Julie and Steph came into my life, I have taken more days off and I have been a lot happier.


	5. The Guardian Part 1

**Author's note**

 **You all have been good to me, so I figured I reward you with another update this weekend.**

 **Thank you all for the comments. As usual they make my day.**

 **Enjoy and stay tuned. There are at least two more chapters coming.**

* * *

 **Steph's POV**

 _A couple of weeks later_

"So he wouldn't actually sign away his rights?" I question astonished.

"No. You can simply file for guardian ship with the court. Your chances are good, as you are already fostering Julie" Dickie advises. He only got back today and I let his home phone ring so long until he picked up. "They will interview him though. They won't contact the mother as she already signed her rights away."

"Thanks Dickie, you are a star" I tell him and hang up. "Lula, I gotta go. I will be back later."

"You found a solution?" She shouts after me, as I am already half way through the door. I shoot her a grin and give her the thumbs up, before hurrying to my car.

Since we came back from Miami, Julie and Ranger have seen each other nearly every day. He finally even showed us his house in Trenton, which is similar to the one in Miami, and Julie instantly duped it 'the Bat cave'.

Even though I have tried, Julie has not talked to me about what happened with her mother in Miami. Joe also tried but got nowhere. Which worries me a little bit. But as she seems happy, I am not trying to push the issue.

"Hey, I wasn't expecting you" Ranger greets me with a smile, as I wander into his office, where he is just shrugging on a black dress shirt. Without buttoning his shirt first, he turns around to face me. _HOLY MOLY!_

As hard as I try, I cannot avert my eyes. The shirt is just hanging loosely on his body, covering nothing. He has a muscular chest, a well-defined six pack and a small trail of dark hair which starts at his belly button and disappears in his pants.

I am frozen to the spot, with my eyes glued at his body. "If you keep looking at me like that…" He says huskily and walks over, only stopping inches away from me.

"Like what?" I manage to get out.

"Like I am good enough to eat" He retorts. _Well hell, he is definitely good enough to eat, and to lick and…well let's not go there, otherwise I will ruin my panties even more._

Ranger smells delicious and my fingers are itching to touch him. "Earth to Steph?" He waves his hand in front of my eyes. "You ok?" He questions softy, as he puts a finger under my chin and lifts it, so that he can look me in the eyes. The tension between us is so thick, that you could cut it with a knife.

"Yeah…Yeah…all good" I stutter, making him smile in the process.

"You sure?" He asks and inches even closer. Ranger has the brownest eyes I have ever see, which are often hiding enough mystery to keep me up all night. But now they are hungry, making me feel like prey.

"Huhm" Someone clears their throat behind us and I try to jump away, but Ranger grabs my arms and holds me in place.

"Don't" he growls under his breath, before looking past me. "Qué desea Hector? (What do you want Hector?)"

"Tiene una ventaja sobre Rodríguez (Got a lead on Rodriguez)" Hector replies.

"Necesito un minute (I need a minute)" Ranger informs him.

Hector mutters something under his breath, which sounds suspiciously like "Apuesto que (I bet)" before I hear him walking away.

"Oh got that was embarrassing" I say and lean my head against his chest to hide my face. He chuckles, making me realize my mistake. "Oh…I am so sorry…so inappropriate" I quickly pull my head away and try not to look at him.

"No need to apologise" He assures me gruffly, before letting me go.

"I am sorry to be coming by unannounced. Cal let me up...I hope that is not a problem." I say quickly to change the subject.

"Not a problem…a welcome distraction actually" He smiles and starts buttoning his shirt painfully slow. _Torture!_ You want to know my secrets? Put him in front of me, interrogate me and every time I tell the truth he can open one button. I would spill my guts instantly.

"Are you going to chase a skip in a suit?" I was never able to wear nice things when I was skip chasing. I rolled in garbage and got all sorts of things thrown at me.

"No. I have a meeting with a new high value client. If we land this one, we can venture into a new territory" He explains and puts on his cuff links.

* * *

 _ **Ranger's POV**_

"Want to help me with the tie?" I ask, even though I am perfectly capable of tying it myself. I just want an excuse to have her closer again.

Earlier, she looked at me as if I was food and my lower parts responded excitingly. It's been a while since a woman could get me hard, by just looking at me. Hence me keeping her close, as Hector suddenly showed up. He will pay for his comment and smirk later.

"Sure" She nods, picks up the blue tie from my desk and steps closer.

"So what has you dropping by?" I question, to distract myself, so that my mind doesn't drift down the forbidden path again.

"I found a solution…well Dickie actually found a solution" She informs me and before I get my next question in, she rambles on. "He suggested you make me Julie's guardian….well actually I need to petition the court for this and they may want to talk to you. Dickie said that it shouldn't be too hard as I already foster her. This means I can fell decisions on her behalf and be legally responsible for her, but you get to keep your parental rights. If you want that."

"Have you told Julie about this?" I probe.

"There done…" She says, straightens out the tie and tries to step away, but my hands catch her arms once again, to keep her close. "I…uhmm…I haven't told her yet. I came here as soon as I hung up on Dickie."

I am glad to see that she is just affected by me, as I am affected by her. I want her, but I cannot go down that route. Not yet anyways. She is Julie's mother and I don't want to do anything to jeopardise that. Besides I am not made for relationships. Never have been.

But that doesn't mean I have to stop flirting with her.

"Want to ask her tonight?" I ask.

"Sure, but we are going first to my parents for dinner, so we can come around after" She suggests "apparently Julie self-invited herself, as she heard that my mom is making Chocolate cake for dessert."

"Can I come?" I find myself asking and the surprise on her face shows. "We have put it off long enough, meeting the respective grandparents I mean. My mother calls me every day and asks to meet you and Julie."

"Yeah…maybe you are right. Let me call my mother" She nods and fishes her phone out of her bag. In that same moment, the phone starts ringing and the face of an older version of Steph appears on my screen. "Your ears must be burning" Steph says as she picks up the phone with the loudspeaker.

"Why?" the older woman probes.

"I was just about to call you" Steph admits.

"Is everything ok? Did something happen to Julie?" Her mother asks with a slightly panicked voice.

"Why do you always assume the worse when I call her?" Steph questions with an eye roll and a sigh.

"You used to be a bounty hunter, who's cars would blow up on a regular basis." Mother Plum retorts flatly.

"Mom, everything is fine." Steph advises her. "I was going to ask if Ranger could come to dinner too?"

"Of course, it is about time. But tell him no twigs or barks here" and with that Mrs Plum hangs up, making me laugh.

"Julie must have told her about your eating habits" Steph laughs.

"What time am I picking you guys up?" I ask and move away from her. The guys are probably waiting for me in the conference room regarding Rodriguez and then I may need to break a few traffic laws to get to the client meeting on time.

"We gotta be there at 7 on the dot, or the food gets ruined and as consequence my mother will strip us of our dessert rights. So 6.15?" She says, watching me while I grab a couple of files of my desk.

"Copy that. Wouldn't want you to lose your dessert rights" I smirk and guide her out of my office.

"Just to let you know…it can get a little crazy at Plum dinners" She warns me, just as we reach the elevator.

"I manoeuvred minefields and infiltrated dangerous organizations. Compared to that, a dinner with your family will be a piece of cake." I assure her.

"Famous last words" She grins as she steps into the waiting elevator.

* * *

 **Steph's POV**

 _Later that evening_

"Do you think he is ok?" Julie asks and waves a hand in front of Ranger's eyes to see if he is still with us.

"Pumpkin, go and get him a stiff drink" my dad orders. I do as I am told, while Julie still looks at Ranger with concern.

"Here you go" I say, as I set the glass of whisky in front of him. He picks it up and drowns it in one go.

"Believe me this was one of the more quite dinners" My mom says as she walks into the dining room. "Dinner's with the Plum family have always been somewhat crazy…with nearly all of the family being in the mafia and all." She places the chocolate cake on the table and starts dividing it onto the laid out plates. Thankfully no one stayed for dessert, which means more cake for me and Julie.

My grandma left 15 minutes ago for the rec centre, as she is attending the elderly samba dancing class tonight. She was wearing a very short, very colourful dress to dinner, if you can even call it a dress. It was only a bra and panties with feathers on them, both of which left little to imagination. Throughout Dinner she made sexual remarks towards Ranger, felt his ass multiple times and nearly shot a hole into the wall, as she showed off her gun.

My sister Valerie, her husband Albert and their three daughters left shortly after my grandmother, because her oldest Daughter Angie has a high fewer. During dinner Lisa, her youngest, kept swearing like a fisherman, Mary Alice kept dry humping the sofa, because she now thinks that she is a stallion and Albert had more food on him than he actually managed to eat.

"Oh remember as Giovanni came uninvited to the house and Salvatore shot him dead at the dinner table?" My father looks at my mother and laughs at the memory.

"Yes and your mother continued eating as if she wasn't sitting next to a corpse" Mom shakes her head in disbelieve. "I have never seen someone cross herself so many times, like your grandmother Beatrice."

"What did you do with the body?" Ranger suddenly asks with interest.

"I have no idea, but I assume he was dissolved in the family bathtub." Dad shrugs, as if it is not a big deal, and accepts a piece of cake from my mother. I am glad my father has distanced himself from the family, much to the dismay of his father. My dad was supposed be next in line to take over the family business.

"Interesting" Ranger comments. "Could I have another one?" he adds and points at his now empty glass.

"I will go and get it" Julie grabs his glass and jumps up to refill it.

"On your way back…get the whipped cream" I shout after her.

"Why do you think I wanted to fill the drink? Once again I am two steps ahead of you" She laughs and disappears behind the kitchen door.

"I am glad to see that my drink was her priority" Ranger says sarcastically.

"So Ranger, what are your intentions here?" My father suddenly questions out of nowhere. "Julie has been through enough, she doesn't need any more upset in her life."

"Dad" I half whine, half sigh of embarrassment. "We spoke about this..."

"It's ok" Ranger says and places a hand on my leg. My whole body stills, my heat skips a beat, before kick starting in double speed. As he then proceeds to run his thumb in a circling motion, I forget how to breathe. I barely register what he answers my father. "I agree. But I also cannot be full time father. I have a Job that is dangerous and will take me away for months at a time. Steph and Dickie have found a different way, besides me giving up my rights, but we will run this past Julie first, before getting anybody else involved."

In that moment Julie slams open the door with a smile on her face "What's the solution?" I quickly push Ranger's hand of my leg and motion for Julie to come closer.

"Get your priorities straight!" I chide her and shake my head"…first cream then answers!" My daughter only rolls her eyes, but hands me cream without another word. I put a generous portion of cream on my cake, before passing it back to Julie. "Dickie said I can petition the court for guardianship. Ranger wouldn't need to release his rights and I can make all legal decisions."

"What do you think of that?" Ranger looks at Julie, who is stuffing her face with cake and cream.

"Afff longsch aff nofing fanges…I am fappy" She replies with a full mouth.

* * *

 **Ranger's POV**

 _Two Months later_

"Why are you supporting Ms Plum to be the Guardian?" The judge questions.

"Your Honour, I only found out a few months ago that I am Julie's father. Till that date I did not know she existed. Back then Ms Plum said she wanted to adopt her. I got to know both Julie and Ms Plum and Ms Plum is her mother and I don't want to break them apart. My job often takes me abroad, so I cannot be a full time father, which Julie needs. This way I do not give up my rights to Julie, but I also know that she will be looked after whenever I am away. Ms Plum provides the stability that I cannot offer my daughter." I explain.

The Judge stays quite and looks over his papers. "Alright…after hearing from all parties and relatives, I have decided that it would be in the best interest of the child to place Ms Plum as her legal guardian. Congratulations."

"YES" Julie fist bumps the air and our families and friends break out into a cheer.

"Let's go to celebrate" I suggest and hug Julie, as I come down from the witness stand. She only nods into my shoulder, before letting go off me.

I turn towards Dickie, say "Thank you" and I shake his hand in gratitude.

"Not a Problem" He nods, packs up his suit case and leaves the court room.

"Alright all back to the Plum house, we have got a party to get to" Steph shouts, just as my phone rings.

"Manoso" I answer without looking at the caller ID.

"Captain" Major Carter greets me and a bad feeling settles into the pit of my stomach. "Tag you are it."

* * *

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	6. The Guardian Part 2

**Author's Note**

 **Thank you all for the lovely comments.**

 **Here we go another chapter :)**

 **Enjoy**

* * *

 **Ranger's POV**

"Tag you are it."

"You really need to a get a new line…you sound like a five year old on the playground." I shake my head.

"Be at Newark airport at 2200 hours. You are flying to Russia" Carter says, without paying attention to my remark.

"Invading the Kremlin?" I joke.

"Something like that. May last more than 6 months." He advises.

"Your timing as usual is impeccable" I remark dryly.

"I aim to please" Carter says, before hanging up.

"When are you leaving?" Tank questions. He stepped next to me, just as my phone rang.

"Tonight, 2200" I reply and look for Steph and Julie. I find them laughing and hugging my mother and father. All sporting big grins on their faces. Julie will never be short on people that love and care about her ever again, which makes what I need to tell her now even harder.

"Don't worry about them…we will keep an eye out" Tank assures me.

"That is a given Cuz" Les nods, having overheard our conversation.

"I think there will be a long line of volunteers" Bobby points out, as he steps closer.

"Good to know" I nod. "Instructions are the usual. You know the wall code, use it if…"

"Copy that" My best friends nods. "Just make sure I don't have to."

* * *

"Can I talk to you both for a moment?" I ask, as I pull up at the curb in front of the Plum residence, where the celebration Party is going to take place.

"Sure" Julie nods.

"Want to do this inside?" Steph questions.

"If you have a quite room, then yes." I nod.

"My old room. We can talk there…but I am starving, so I need to get some food on the way" In that moment her beast of a stomach decides to make itself know.

"Right…first we feed the beast and then we talk." I laugh, deciding to put it of a few more minutes won't hurt.

The party is just getting started as we walk into the house. There are people everywhere in the modest sized Burg home Steph instantly disappears to get some food and Julie shows me to Steph's old room.

"Alright, I got food" Steph smiles at me, as she joins us a few minutes later, with a full plate of fatty meats and just a little bit of pasta salad. She claims as it has the word salad attached to it, she cannot eat it, as it is too healthy. "HEY" she slaps Julie's hand away, as my daughter tries to steal a sausage of her plate. "You aren't getting any of my food."

"I am starting to re-think my choice for a guardian" I mutter jokingly. "You are depriving the poor child of food." I add and Julie pulls a sad face at her mother.

Steph shakes her head. "Fine…" she holds out her plate and Julie instantly snatches a couple of sausages. "I suppose I love her too much to deprive her of anything."

"So what do you have to say?" Julie asks, as she stuff the meat in her mouth.

"This is not easy…I have just gotten a phone call" I say and close the door behind us, for some privacy. "I have been called away for an assignment…I am leaving tonight."

"How long will you be gone?" Steph almost whispers after a good five minutes of silence.

"Could be longer than 6 months…I can't tell you where I am going and I may not be able to contact you during that time. But whatever you need, more money, help…anything…call Tank. He has access to all my accounts and is authorized to handle my affairs in my absence."

"We will be fine" Steph assures me and with one look at Julie, she gets up and adds "I will let you two talk." And disappears through the door.

"I am sorry that I can't stay for the whole party." I say and sit down next to her on the bed.

"Its fine" She shrugs it off.

"Julie…" I sigh. This is harder than I thought.

"No, I get it…its fine" She assures me again, but still avoids looking at me.

"I won't sugar coat it okay? All my missions are dangerous, some more…some less, but they are dangerous nevertheless. I may not come back in the condition that I am leaving…or I may not come back at all, but believe me when I say…" I pause and wait until she looks at me. "I will try my hardest to come back. I promise."

"Okay" Julie nods.

"Now let's enjoy the party downstairs." I say, get up and pull her off the bed as well.

"Don't leave without saying goodbye" She orders me, just as we are about to walk out of the room.

"Wouldn't dream of it" I assure her. "So your mom liked Backstreet Boys as she was young?" I grin and motion with my head to the poster on Steph's bedrooms door.

"She was in love with AJ" Julie informs me.

"That is very good to know" I wink at her.

* * *

"Thanks" I nod at Manny, who has just brought me the bag Ella packed for me. He nods in acknowledgement and disappears back through the front door, to wait for me in the car. He is my ride to the airport.

"I have got a bad feeling Rangeman" Tank says and looks at me with concern.

"Same here" I nod. "Keep an eye on them…protect them. You know how to reach me in an emergency."

"Yes, Sir" Tank confirms.

"And Tank… if there is trouble, move them in" I tell him.

"How life has changed huh?" Tank muses and I raise an eyebrow in question. "You used to leave, do the job and come back; for years without giving a second thought to the people who love you. You wouldn't let anyone into your apartment, let alone let anyone know the location of the bat cave."

"Bat cave? Really?" I shoot Tank a disbelieving look.

"It caught on" he shrugs his massive shoulders.

"I regret signing on for another three years." I admit honestly, surprising myself. Half a year ago I couldn't wait for the chance to get back out there. Now everything is different. And the bad feeling in the pit of my stomach is amplified by me not wanting to leave Steph and Julie.

"Hey…you are leaving already?" Steph asks as she comes closer.

"Yes, I was just about to come and find you and Julie." I inform her.

"I will go and find Julie…" Tank says and leaves.

"So…" Steph shifts her weight from one foot to the other and then back again, before she looks at me. "I don't know what to say."

"You don't need to say anything" I assure her, grab her hand and pull her closer. "Nothing at all" I add, just before I close the distance between us and kiss her.

It takes her a moment to respond to me, but when she does, I nearly lose my control. Steph opens her lips slightly and I use that chance to slip my tongue past them, before I push her into the wall, bring my hands up to cradle her face and deepen the kiss.

She moans, which nearly makes me want to drag her into her childhood room and have my way with her, if we just had enough time.

As the need for air becomes too great, we pull apart. "Wow" Steph manages to get out and touches her lips with her fingers.

"Tank said you were leaving" Julie says as she suddenly appears in the hallway.

"Yes" I nod and step away from Steph, with great regret.

"Come back in one piece" Julie says and hugs me tight.

"I will certainly try" I kiss the top of her head and hug her even tighter. "I am going to miss you, kiddo…anything you or your mom need, go to Tank. He also has the key to my house, if you want to go swimming."

"Miss you too" Julie nods, let's go of me and then walks away without looking back.

"Don't get shot" Steph says, as she pushes of the wall.

"I will try, Babe" I step closer and kiss her one last time. "I gotta go. Anything you need call Tank."

"We won't need anything" Steph assures me.

"Promise me you will call Tank" I press.

"Fine…" She sighs "I promise."

"Good" I smile. I grab my bag and step out of the house, to find Joe waiting for me at the car.

"I will take care of them" Joe assures me, as I come closer.

"Wouldn't expect anything less." I retort. "I know Steph would be too proud to ask for help, so if there is anything they need give Tank a call."

"Copy that" Joe nods. "Make sure you come back."

"I intend to" I assure him and with that I get into the car. As we drive off I take one last look at Steph, waving goodbye and capture a mental image. I am sure that the thought of Steph and Julie will get me through the next few months, which I am sure will be hell.

* * *

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	7. Trouble Part 1

**Authors note**

 **Thank you for all the comments. They make my day.**

 **So I have written myself a bit into a corner with this story and my Muse doesn't quite know how to get out of it. Fingers crossed that she comes up with a plan soon.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Steph's POV  
** _One month later_

"My friends are having a party...can I go along?" Julie asks over dinner.

"When is it and who are the friends?" I probe, but already knowing the answer to the last part. A couple of months ago, Julie started hanging out with Brian Barnhardt, Joyce's nephew, and Rumour Gilman, Terri's little sister.

Both very troubled teenagers, both a couple of years older than Julie. Brian is rebelling against his abusive father and Rumour is the dirty little secret of an affair Terri's father had 18 years ago.

"Tonight and I am going with Brian and Rumour." Julie tells me. "So can I go?"

"No. It is not like I don't trust you, but I don't trust them." I inform her. "I know there will be alcohol and possibly drugs involved."

"They are not like their families. Trust me, I won't drink or do drugs" She pleads.

"No. And that is my final answer." I say and cringe internally. I sound like my mother.

"This is so unfair" Julie slams her fork down on the table and stands. "You never let me have any friends!"

"I do let you have friends…" I retort in protest.

"Yeah, just not the ones I want to have" She shouts.

"They are bad news Julie" I shout back. "Joe has arrested Brian for several misdemeanours and it won't take long before Rumour and her sticky fingers to get caught too."

"You are unbelievable. Trust me that I won't be like that…but I suppose once the screw up, always the screw up" And with that she storms into her room and slams the door.

I suddenly lost my appetite, so I stand and put the pasta bake which my mother made for us into the fridge, before clearing away our plates.

Seems like I will be watching TV by myself tonight.

Since Ranger left, Julie's moods have gone up and down. We fight more and her grades at school have dropped too. I don't want to blame it on the fact that he is gone, that would be too convenient. So instead I blame it on her teenage hormones.

We nor Tank, have heard from Ranger in the past month. Tank advised me that no news could also be good news. But I can't help to imagine the worst.

By ten o'clock I give up on watching TV and knock on Julie's door. "Julie…can we talk?" No answer. I knock again. "Please…I don't want us to go to bed angry." No answer again. This time I try to open the door, but find that she has locked it. "You just listen then... I am not sorry that I won't let you go to the party. I do trust you, but I don't trust your friends. You are a bright kid and I don't want you to ruin your future."

No answer again. "Well goodnight then…" I add and go into my own room to sleep.

* * *

 _RING_

 _RING_

"Someone better be dead" I say as I pick up my phone with my eyes still closed.

"Miss Plum?" a voice, which I do not recognise, questions.

"Yes? Who is this?" I probe and slightly open my eyes. 3.30 am.

"My name is Officer Redderick from the Edison Police Department. I understand you are the legal Guardian of Julie Manoso?" The officer asks.

"Yes, I am. Why are you calling Officer?" A suspicious feeling is making itself known in my stomach. I instantly get up, open my window, get onto the fire escape and shuffle along until I reach Julie's window.

"We have just arrested Julie. She was driving a car, with two drunken teenagers and a couple of crates of beer in the back." The officer informs me, just as I am pushing Julie's window open. I enter swiftly and turn on the bedside lamp. Sure enough her bed is empty.

"Tell me the address. I am on my way." I tell him, close the window and unlock the door.

* * *

"Joe!" I sigh in relief and hug him. I called him on my way to the station. Thankfully he was on night shift and with his blue lights and sirens, was able to make it here faster than I did. "How bad is it?"

"I talked to Desk Sergeant Fillmore. Julie is sober, but she drove Brian's car without a licence which is about a $1000 fine. He says that there were two crates of beer in the back, which she assured the Officers weren't hers nor did she knew about them. This usually could result in jail time" Joe informs me and my heart plummets to my stomach. "But…they are willing to drop the charges as a favour to me."

"Is that the right thing to do? I mean to let her off the hook?" I question. You always read about these teenagers getting caught and being let off, because of their parents or weak judges, only for them to screw-up again and again without any consequences. I always thought that someone should just teach them a lesson. But when it's your own child, you think differently.

"It's already done Cupcake." Joe tells me.

"Oh…Thank you." I nod and push past him into the precinct. "I am here to pick up my daughter Julie Manoso" I tell the Desk Sergeant as I get closer.

"Please have seat. It will be a moment." He advises, before disappearing behind a door.

* * *

"Say something" Julie requests as we reach my car. It took almost an hour before she was released.

"Get in" I motion to the open door, before turning around to Joe.

"You going to be ok?" He questions and nods towards Julie.

"Yeah. I am sorry that I had to call you away from work for this." I tell him.

"Don't worry about it. There was nothing happening anyways. " Joe steps towards me, places a kiss on the top of my head, before stepping away again. "I will call you later... there is something I need to tell you."

"Sure, just let me sleep in ok?" I nod and walk around the car.

"Wouldn't dare to call before 11 am" He smirks, turns around and walks quickly to his own car. He got a call half an hour ago that his presence is requested at a murder scene. As I told him he could leave, he advised me that the guy is dead and that there is no rush.

* * *

"Can you just please say something, mom?" Julie pleads, as we are about halfway home, and when I keep quite she adds "I am sorry, I truly am. I should have listen to you. I will never do it again."

I am far too angry to talk to her about this now. If I opened my mouth, I would talk myself into Rhino mode and we really don't need that.

Suddenly the car behind me flashes its lights and starts driving really close to my bumper. "What the hell? Move past" I roll down my window and motion for them to pass me, but they stay tight on my bumper.

They flash their lights again and come even closer. "Mom?" Julie looks at me slightly panicked.

"Hold on" I say and speed up to get away from the car.

Then the car behind me turns on its blue and red lights. "What the fuck?" I question. "Julie dial Joe. Tell him what is happening. Something isn't right." I add before speeding up again.

The Police car gains speed too, drives past me only to come to a screeching halt a couple of hundred meters ahead of me. I have to brake really hard to not crash into them.

"Joe…something is wrong. We were nearly run off the road by a police car…They are getting out now…" Julie explains to Joe.

I roll down my window further, as the two officers approach our car. One stands on the passenger side, watching Julie like a hawk with his hand resting on his gun, while the other is coming up to my window.

"Licence and registration please" He says with a heavy eastern European accent.

I fish both items out of my bag and hand them to the officer, who takes them back to his car.

"Is Joe still on the line?" I ask Julie, who only nods in response. "Describe the officers to him and the licence plate of their car." Julie does as I asked and in that moment the other officer comes back with my papers.

"Can you please step out of the car Mam…your daughter too." He requests.

"Why? Something wrong with my papers?" I question.

"Just step out of the car Mam" He request more harshly this time. I nod at Julie and we both get out at the same time. "Turn around against the vehicle please." The officer requests and once again we do as we are told.

Next thing I know a bag gets drawn over my head and I can hear Julie scream. "HEY…what is going on?" I shout and try to wiggle out of the officers hold.

"Resist..." He whispers in my ear. "And that sweet daughter of yours will pay for it."

* * *

 **Joe's POV**

I hear Julie scream and Steph shout "HEY…what is going on?" before someone disconnects the line. Dread fills me from head to toe.

 _ **CRAP**_

"Hey you ok?" Big Dog asks with concern. "You are white as a sheet!"

"Someone just took Steph and Julie" I comment, before dialling Tanks number. I have started working with Rangemen on a regular basis a few months back, since I figured out that they are not bound by a lot of the red tape that the police encounters on a regularly. We have been trading favours ever since.

"Morelli?" Tank answers after the first ring.

"Julie and Steph have been taken. I was on the phone with them as it happened. Can you look into which location their call came from and sent it to me?"

"On it" He simply replies and hangs up.

Seconds later I get a message from an unknown number with a location. "I gotta go" I tell Big Dog, turn around and jog to my car.

As I get to the location, Tank, his men and a couple of officers are already there. Steph's car is parked in the middle of the road, with both doors wide open. There are skid marks leading a couple of hundred meters back, from when I heard her break. Further ahead there are skid marks from a second set of tires.

This is the only stretch of road between Edison and Trenton, which isn't surrounded by houses. No one would have heard them scream and at this time of day, traffic is sparse.

"Detective Morelli" Officer Miller greets with a handshake as I jog towards the scene.

"Miller" I nod.

"We got a call that there is an abandoned car. As we arrived, they were already here" He motions with his head towards the Rangemen. "We realized it was Miss Plum's car and were just about to call you, but the big guy informed us that you were already on your way."

"I was on the phone with them as they were taken. I have informed dispatch already about the license plate of the car Julie described. They are sending more people, put out a BOLO and APB already" I inform him. "Anything you can tell me?"

"Not yet." Miller replies.

"Keep me updated" And with that I walk over to where Tank is overseeing his people.

"We found Julie's phone smashed on the ground over there" Tank tells me and motions to the side of the road.

"Did Ranger ever get around putting Trackers on them?" I ask. Ranger and discussed it briefly and I advised him to run this by Steph.

"The car, her purse and both of their phones have trackers." Tanks tells me. "A load of good it does now."

"They cannot have gotten far" I tell him, hoping to catch these guys before they can harm the girls in any way.

* * *

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	8. Trouble Part 2

**Author's Note:**

 **Everything not in English is translated from Babylon.**

 **Thank you for all of your comments on the last chapter. One specific comment (the person has been informed) has made my muse stop sulking. I won't divulge who it was, or all of you are going to look at her comment and guess what I am up to ;) (Mean you think? NOOOOOT at allllll :D)**

 **Everything in Spanish has been translated through Babylon, so forgive me if it doesn't make much sense.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Tank's POV**

 _4hours later_

"You going to call him?" Les asks as he sees me eying the sat phone on my desk. This is the only secure way to contact Ranger without potentially blowing his cover.

"I don't know…" I admit honestly. "It's only been 4 hours."

"He would want to know" Bobby says.

"I know, but he also would be on the first flight home, which will result in him being thrown into the brig for being AWOL" I point out harsher than I should have.

In the same moment the door is thrown open and Hector quickly enters my office. "Tenemos un problema (We have a problem)" Hector says and closes the door behind himself.

"What is it?" I motion for him to go on. Only the core team and a selected few know that Hector can speak English fluently.

"Morelli sent over the fingerprints they found in the abandoned police car and a partial print belongs to Alexei Bezrukov. Former KGB and Spetsnaz, believed to be one of the key players in the Anti Putin Movement." Hector explains.

"That certainly is a problem" Les remarks dryly.

"Any friends or family in the area? Owns houses or apartments?" Bobby looks at Hector, who only shakes his head.

"Nothing. Beyond what I just told you, there is no record of him in any database. Immigration has nothing on him either, I checked twice. The Russians show that he has a dead wife, but no other remaining family." Our friend replies and does something on his tablet, before the information and a picture appears on my screen. Just like Joe said Julie described him. Short blonde hair, pale face, tall and muscular.

"What about the police car they took?" I enquire.

"It is supposed to be at Mucha's Auto Repair down Hamilton Avenue for maintenance." Hector informs me.

"Get a team down there." I order and Hector instantly leaves.

"Russian, Former KGB and Spetsnaz…this is not a coincidence" Bobby points out. "You have to call him."

I only nod in response and pick up the phone. I dial the familiar number and when the answering machine picks up after the first ring I say "Call me back" before hanging up.

"Let's go and wake up Stark Street" I crack my knuckles, pocket the sat phone and grab my gun out of my drawer. I am just hoping for uncooperative people on Stark Street. It's been a too long since I broke some jaws or shot someone.

* * *

 **Steph's POV**

"Where are we?" Julie questions as quietly as she can.

"I don't know…All I know is that we are definitely not in Trenton anymore." I answer just as quietly.

"Mom, I am sorry" Julie says for like the thousands time. "It's all my fault."

"I know" I nod, before remembering that she can't see me. "And this is not your fault."

"BE QUITE" One of the guys shouts, before continuing to speak in Russian to his friend.

Unfortunately I don't know the area from Edison to Trenton very well, or I would have been able to track our movements a little better. I know we made stop at a petrol station, which is only open during the day. We switched cars there and after the 10th turn I lost track. And as our kidnappers only communicate in Russian, I am at a loss to what they are staying.

I just hope that Joe will find us.

I must have dozed off, because as the door is thrown open, I jerk into an upright position and it takes a moment for me to realize what is going on. One of our kidnappers picks me up and throws me over his shoulder, since my hands and legs are tied together with a robe and I can't move on my own.

"Hey…just let us go" Julie pleads and I can hear the other man grunt. She must have kicked or punched him.

"сука" The man shouts, before I hear a slap and Julie screams in pain.

"LEAVE HER ALONE" I shout and try to wiggle out of the guys hold, but he only holds on tighter.

"Both of you shut the fuck up" he growls. "The more you fight, the worse it will get." He informs us.

The sun must have come up, since I can feel the warmth through my thin jacket. A few steps later the warmth goes away and cool air hits my lunges just before he throws me down onto a concrete ground. My right shoulder and arm make a very unwelcoming sound, before pain shoots all the way down to my fingertips. If it is not broken, it surely is bruised.

"We will be back" The other guys says and closes a door with a loud bang.

"Julie?" I call out.

"I am here" she replies and by the sound of it she is very close to me.

"Any chance you can get out of your restraints?" I ask and roll closer to where I think she is located.

"No" Julie sighs in frustration.

"All Right let me try" I pull my hands as far away from me as I can and reach out to her. I find her restraints with ease, before scooting down. "Can you pull the sack off my head?" I question and Julie does as she is told. "Thank you, now I can at least see what I am doing."

Thankfully the restrains are made out of rope and the knot doesn't look that complicated. I start working on with my teeth and it takes a while, but eventually, the knot loosens enough so that I can pull it apart with my hands.

As her hands are free, Julie pulls the black sack of her head and starts working on her leg restrains. A bruise the size of an apple is starting to form on her cheek, where I assume the guy hit her earlier.

"You okay?" I ask and nod at the bruise.

"It's fine" she answers and shrugs her shoulders.

"Joe and Rangemen will find us" I assure her.

"How? We don't have a phone or any idea where we are" Julie points out and finally frees her legs as well.

"I know they will" I say with more confidence than I actually have. She frees me as well and I instantly try to move my arm, but pain shoots from it once again. I grimace and muffle a groan, but Julie still picks up on it.

"What happened to your arm?" She asks with concern and carefully helps me out of my jacket.

"The asshole dropped me." I reply angrily. "Don't worry the arm will be fine…Let's just see if can find a way out of here or if we can see anything through that window."

Julie helps me stand and together we look out the window which has bars on the outside. There are no houses around apart from the one we are in.

To the left there is a dog chained to an old rusty car, with a brand new black truck without plates sitting right next to it. Straight ahead are a couple of sea containers close to the trees. To the right there is a small digger, multiple other rusty old cars and a big warehouse right next to them. Unfortunately there is no signing on any of it.

I turn away from the window and face the room. My guess is that the room is abou meters and has nothing apart from us in it. The walls are out of concrete, just as the floor, and it all seems very new. "Well this isn't helpful at all." I groan and look at the heavy metal door.

"I will see if I can snatch a phone of them when they come back?" Julie suggests. She told me once that she got really good at pick pocketing. Her last foster parents used to lock the food away and a boy in the warehouse showed her how to steal the keys for it right out of the foster parent's pockets. Apparently she had been the one with the smallest hands at that time.

In that moment keys rattle on the outside and a second later an overweight woman in her mid-forties comes through the door. **_WELL SHIT!_**

"There you are" She grins, making me nearly gag, as she shows of her nearly black teeth.

* * *

 **Ranger's POV**

 ** _A few hours later_**

"Anything else you require Ambassador?" I ask as we arrive at his house in Moscow.

"No, that'd be all Ric. Thank you" He nods and gets out of the car. "Come in for Dinner. My wife would be delighted to have some company apart from me."

"Can't have your wife look at your ugly mug all day" I grin and get out of the car too.

Former CIA Agent turned Politician, Ambassador Andy Reagan and I have known each other for a while now. Rangemen has him to thank for various Personal Protection details we do for a few Senators in Washington. He is also the only politician I trust.

Soon after his last stint in Afghanistan 9 years ago, where we met, Andy decided he didn't want to be a paper pusher for the CIA at the young age of 40 and that it was time for a career change. He moved his wife and three kids to Washington where he climbed the ranks quite quickly, until he was made Ambassador in Moscow, due to him speaking the language.

"Finally! Dinner is getting cold" Maya, his wife says and waves us in. Even though it is only October, the temperatures have drastically dropped since I got here a month ago.

"How did she know I would be joining you?" I question, as I follow husband and wife through the house into the dining room.

"Because I asked him to invite you" Maya replies with a smile over her shoulder. "I haven't seen or talked to you since you got here. Has Moscow made your manners disappear Manoso?"

"No it hasn't Mam" I kiss her head and sit opposite of her, with Andy at the head of the table.

"Honey he is here to work, not socialise" Her husband points out and heaves a mountain of mash potatoes on his plate.

* * *

"Thank you for Dinner Maya" I place a kiss on her cheek and shake Andy's hand, before walking down the stairs to the waiting car.

"Where to Boss?" Ron, the driver, questions when I get into the car.

"Home" I say and look out the window.

It's been a month since I left Trenton and not a day goes by, where I don't think about Steph or Julie. I miss them both. Today especially. I woke up this morning with a bad feeling in my stomach and I have been itching to call them, but I can't risk my cover. You never know who is listening

I am here officially as Andy's new head of security. Unofficially I am here to infiltrate an Islamic State Sleeper cell, which an US Embassy employee is apparently part of. Moscow has tried to send people in, but they all end up dead. So they asked Uncle Sam for help.

"I see you tomorrow Boss" Ron says, as I get out of the car 5 minutes later.

Once I am in the apartment, I strip out of my suit and get into the shower. I turn it to scalding hot in hope to ease the tightness in my shoulders that has been there all day long. But I give up after five minutes, as my mind keeps going back to Steph and Julie.

I quickly dry myself, put on some sweat pants and walk over to where a chair is sitting in the corner of the bedroom. Without a second thought, I flip the carpet up, open the safe beneath it and take out my tablet, which Hector encrypted. The screen comes to life and shows one notification _'Call me back'_.

I do a quick sweep for bugs, as I do every evening, before grabbing the sat phone out of the safe, turn on some music and only then dial the number.

"Report" I nearly bark, before Tank can even get a word out.

* * *

 **What did you think?**


	9. The Hunt Part 1

**Ranger's POV**

"Sent me everything you have." I order and in that moment an email notification sound comes from the tablet. I grab it out of the safe and pull up the information. "That is too big of a coincidence." I remark as I read over the information.

"That's what we are thinking. But we haven't heard anything from the kidnappers." Tank tells me.

"When you do, I want to know instantly. I will call Hanley and get him to fly me over. I should be home in 20 hours." I inform him and start gathering all my belongings. I don't care about the Mission anymore, all I want is for Steph and Julie to be safe again. I need them to be safe.

"Don't! We are doing everything we can. We are just turning Stark Street upside down" Tanks says and I can hear some muffled screams in the background. "You gotta check over there. If there is a connection we can get them on both ends!"

We both fall silent and I contemplate this for a moment. I want to be over there and want to raise hell on earth finding them, but Tank is right. If this has to do with my op, which I am pretty sure it does, I need to stay.

"Make sure everyone knows what will happen, if they are not forthcoming with information" I growl.

"My pleasure" Tank says and I can hear the smirk he is spotting in his tone, before he hangs up.

* * *

 **Tank's POV**

I pocket the sat phone and turn back towards Dante, the owner of Spread Eagle, who is currently tied to his office chair. His face is bloody from where I have hit him a few times and he has trouble breathing due to a couple of broken ribs. It was my pleasure breaking them.

"Where were we?" Lester looks at Dante. "Ah yeah, you were just going to tell me about the two Russians who came to your club the other day."

"I can't…they will kill me" Dante says in his best scared-little-boy voice.

"You see this guy over here?" Bobby questions, nods towards me and crosses his arms over his chest, making him look even more menacing. Dante only nods in acknowledgement. "Well he threw Arson Manny out the top window of a three story building and believe me when I tell you, that that is not the extent of his abilities."

"So…would you like to re-think your answer?" Lester probes.

"They paid me to keep quite" Dante answers. "And to delete the video footage."

"That is strange, because I am looking at the video footage right now…so you didn't keep your end of the deal" Lester tabs the screen on Dante's desk.

"Our footage gets saved online and on the hard drive. I only deleted the hard drive bit." Dante admits. "They got a couple of private dances, made sure I deleted the footage and fucked off again."

"We need to talk to those girls." Lester tells him.

"I haven't seen Leslie for a week." He shrugs. "And Amber is on stage now" He says and nods to the security camera on his desk, which is showing the main room. I look at Bobby, who only nods and disappears into the hallway.

* * *

"HEY" Amber shoots Bobby a nasty look as he pushes her into the office a few minutes later. For a stripper in this run down joint, she is quite pretty. Amber is only dressed in a glittery thong and bikini top, as well as silver high heels. Her hair is coloured in different shades of blue, red and green and she is barely wearing any make up.

"Oh my god Dante…what did they do to you?" She rushes to his side with a worried look, but Les stops her and pushes her into a chair.

"Don't mind him…he is fine" Lester waves off. "What can you tell me about this man?" He points at the screen.

"He was a good tipper" She shrugs, after looking from me to Bobby to Dante and then back to Lester. Obviously she decided it is better to talk than to keep quite.

"Did he ask any questions?" I probe with a threatening tone. "Did he say anything?"

"He said that he is in town for business and that's it. There wasn't a lot of talking going on." Amber replies.

"Any chance that Leslie is involved with them?" Bobby questions.

"I don't know. I haven't talked to her since that night" Amber admits. "We are not exactly best friends."

"If you can think of anything else let us know" Lester hands her the card and motions for her to leave.

I nod at Les and Bobby and leave the office. So far we have come up with squat. No one has seen or spoken to the Russians on Stark Street, apart from the people in Spread Eagle.

My phone vibrates in my pocket and I quickly pick it out to answer. "Morelli?"

"Come up with anything useful?" the man on the other end question.

"Stark Street has nothing. They went to Spread Eagle, but only had a private dance." I inform him, as I step outside of the club. The sun came up a few hours ago, making Stark Street look almost like any other street in Trenton, if it wasn't for the occasional hooker on the corners or the naked advertising on each door.

"That's better than nothing. I checked the cameras along the road where we found the car, but nothing. They avoided all of them" Morelli sighs of frustration.

"Let me call you back" I tell him, as I hear another call come in and hang up, before picking up the next call "Report" I bark.

"Una mujer tenía una pistola a los propietarios la cara y tiró un grand en él para la cop cars (A woman held a gun to the owners face and threw a grand at him for the cop cars)" Hector says without missing a beat.

"Ha identificado su todavía? (Have you identified her yet?)" I question.

"No. Sólo tenemos la descripción. El vídeo fue eliminado (We only have the description. Video was deleted)" He informs me. "El envío de la descripción (Sending you the description now)."

Without uttering another word I hang up and look at the message I just received. Black hair, skinny, about 5'8, dressed in shorts and a tank top, blue eyes with a dragon tattoo behind her right ear which reaches all the way down to her collar bone. "Son of a bitch." I quickly walk back into the club, where Bobby is inspecting Dante's wounds, and right up to the monitor which is still paused on the girls entering the private rooms.

I snap a picture of Leslie and sent it to Hector with the message to show it to the owner. Seconds later my phone beeps with an answer. _'Que es su (that is her)!'_

"Do you know Leslie's last name?" I look at Dante. "Or address?"

He only shakes his head. I quickly write another message for Hector to run a background search with her name and photo. Minutes later my phone vibrates with the answer.

Leslie Richardson, formerly known as Annushka Bezrukov, Alexei's dead wife. Born in New York. She and her family moved back to Russia as Leslie was 9.

Married Alexei when she was 18 and was pronounced dead at 20, after their house exploded. Her trail goes cold until she rented an apartment last year in Ewing Township.

"We got an address" I tell the guys and motion for Bobby to finish up. I am slowly getting the feeling that we are missing the bigger picture here, but for the life of me I cannot figure it out.

On our way there, I sent an update to Ranger. I am glad he saw reason and stayed in Russia. I am not keen on visiting him in prison, even though Paul Hanley, the pilot, could get anything and anyone undetected out of anywhere with his rust bucket of a plane, which he affectionately calls Lilly Anne.

Since the girls came into his/ our lives, he has been different, but in a good way. I even caught him whistling the other day. I know my best friend well enough to know that after we have Julie and Steph back, he will shut down. He will distance himself from them, just to make sure that this will never happen again. And in the process Ranger will make himself a very unhappy man.

* * *

"Leslie?" Les bashes on the door with enough force for it to pop open.

We all draw our weapons and enter the small apartment. "Damn" Bobby curses as we find Leslie lying on the ground with blood all around her. He drops down next to her, while Les and I search the rest of the apartment.

"Clear" I call out at the same time as Les and Bobby shouts "She as a pulse" before I hear him talking on the phone to 911.

15 minutes later the EMT's and the Police arrive, with Morelli hot on their tails. "She has been shot twice into the torso." I inform him, as he enters the apartment. "Bobby is surprised that she is still alive."

"Has she said anything?" Morelli probes and I only shake my head as answer. "I will get a protection detail put on her door and as soon as she is conscious I will talk to her."

"I will sent a few Rangemen too" I inform him and sent a text to Ram in the control room.

Just as I am about to pocket my phone, it rings and Helen Plum's name pops up on my screen. "You informed them?" I ask and show him the display.

"I completely forgot…shit" He runs a hand through his hair, making it stand up into various directions.

Since I hate talking, I throw Les my phone. He is best equipped to deal with these kind of situations, even though that this is the first one which hits particular close to home.

* * *

 **What did you think?**


	10. The Hunt Part 2

**Author's Note**

 **Inspiration hit today and I wrote a few chapters :) I am so excited to show you, but I am keeping myself in check and I will publish them one after the other during this week. (gotta keep the suspense going :) )**

 **Hope you will enjoy this!**

 **Erdi**

* * *

 **Tank's POV**

 _Two days later_

"Shit" I roar and hit the wall with my fist, successfully punching a hole through it.

"Tank?" Les looks at me through the hole with his eyebrows raised. "We can get a contractor for the refurbishment...you don't need to do that with your fists." The smart ass says, but still manages to make me smirk. You can always count on Les to make light of a situation.

"Leslie isn't improving." I inform him and pocket my phone. "They just brought her back into surgery. She is bleeding internally."

"Shit" he says as well and instantly comes over into my office. We haven't heard anything from the kidnappers, nor have we made any headway in finding the two Russian men. It is like they just vanished.

"We are missing something" I say not for the first time in the last couple of days. "This feeling isn't going away."

"Same here" Les nods and sits down in one of the chairs in front of my desk. "Ranger came up with anything yet?"

"Nah...he has ripped through every employee, but nothing stands out" I tell him, as my mobile starts ringing again. "Report"

"Leslie just died" Hal informs me. He is on hospital duty and stationed right in front of her room.

"What happened?" I find myself asking. She had been shot twice in the stomach and once in the chest.

"Doc says the bleeding was to massive, they couldn't stop it." Hal answers.

"Report back to the control room." I order, hang up on him and relay what happened to Les. He leans forward, puts his head in his hands and sighs of frustration.

"I gotta go and let off some steam...I will be back later." Les informs me, stands and walks out the door.

Seems like I will have the pleasure of informing Ranger.

"Boss?" Cal knocks on my door. "Helen Plum is here to see you."

I just nod and seconds later Steph's mother walks into my office. I left specific instructions with the reception to always bring her up when she came here.

"Are there any news?" the older woman questions, cutting right to the point. Since finding out the news, Mrs Plum has aged at least 10 years.

"Nothing" I shake my head and tears well up in her eyes. "We will keep working every angle until we find them" I assure her.

"Do you think they are already dead?" She probes.

"No" I shake my head again. "The kidnappers have yet to state their demands. My guess is that they are still transporting them to somewhere or they are waiting for a certain time to send their demands."

"But what if they have been sold off?" She questions, making me think that she watches too much Criminal Minds.

"We don't think so. Joe has alerted border control, they won't get out of the country" I assure her. I won't tell her that Hector has valuable contacts in the trafficking scene and they all assured him that no one matching Steph and Julie's description came through.

* * *

 **Steph's POV**

"Mary...I don't have your money" Julie assures the woman in front of us.

For the last couple of days she has come in and asked the same question: 'Where is the money?'. But Julie's answer has always the same, unfortunately for us Mary doesn't believe her.

I had asked Julie as well, but Julie has no idea what Mary is talking about.

"I am getting impatient Julie…" Mary sighs, leaning over the table closer to us and revealing her massive cleavage. "Tell me where the god damn money is" She booms and hits the table with her fists. I can smell her bad breath, which is a mixture of rotten teeth, alcohol and cigarettes.

Today was the first day we were moved from the cellar one floor up to the kitchen. Julie tried snatching a phone of the guards, who come in three times a day to feed us and bring us to the toilet, but they seem to empty their pockets before entering our prison.

There have been no other people around apart from Mary and the two Russian guards, which tells me that this place is either far away from everything or the business that once was here is now not in operation anymore.

"I don't know...I really don't know" Julie cries out.

"Mary...just let us go" I say. "Julie doesn't know where your money is."

"I can't do that Miss Plum...she ratted us out to the cops and she cost me my husband...poor Cletus died in prison because of her" Mary tells us. Poor man, his parents must have hated him a lot to name him Cletus.

"Actually they loved him dearly" Mary informs me, making me realize that I said that out loud. I don't believe her though. You don't give that name to a child you love, you give it to a child you want to punish. "Now I am not being unreasonable...maybe a night on a soft mattress will jog your memory." She adds and with a nod to the door instructs her baboons to take us away.

The last couple of nights we spend sleeping on the hard concrete floor with only our jackets to use as a blanket. And by sleeping, I mean I drifted in and out of consciousness, due to the throbbing pain coming from my arm. The thought of being able to sleep on a mattress excites me a lot, but it would be way nicer if it was my own.

The two goons lead us two sets of stairs up to the second floor and into a big bedroom, which has only a metal framed double bed sitting in it. Everything else seems to have been removed. The mattress looks like it has seen better days and I would rather sleep on the ground than on that thing.

The two men thrust us into the room and bang the door shut behind us. "Help me out of these" I tell Julie and lift my tied together hands a little higher for her to reach. Minutes later we are both out of the restraints and instantly start looking through the room for a way out or at least something that could help us.

I move over to the window, which again has bars in front of it, to see if I recognise anything. "That is Trenton" I point out the window, as I see some buildings in the distance.

"We are pretty close to the city." Julie points out the obvious.

"Which means we could be close to a main road...We have to snatch things to get us out of here." I tell her. "Let's lift the mattress and see if we can take part of the slats out."

* * *

 **Lester's POV**

 _One hour later_

"You ok?" my wife questions and snuggles her naked body up to mine. "Not that I don't appreciate you coming home in the middle of the day with a hard on."

"No…" I shake my head. Nadia knows me too well. And I feel slightly guilty for using her to release my frustration. "Leslie died earlier on. With her gone, we have no witnesses beyond the ones from Spread Eagle. She didn't wake out of her coma, so we have no information."

"You will find them" Nadia assures me, always the supporter when I need her to be.

"I don't know. We haven't heard anything from the kidnappers and the trail goes cold with Leslie." I tell her. "And we all can't help but feel there is something we are missing."

"Maybe this has nothing to do with Ranger's op" my wife points out to me. I am not the slightest bit surprised that she figured this out. Nadia is the smartest person I know and has an incredible talent for reading people and between the lines. I always say she would have made one hell of a CIA operative. But she prefers taking care of our children and being a private tutor.

"What do you mean?" I ask and turn us so that we are now lying face to face.

"Have you really not thought of other options?" She shoots me an are-you-kidding-me look.

"Not really...We thought it could be related to one of Morelli's cases…" I tell her and add "He arrested one of the high ranking Russian mob bosses in Philly...but turns out they don't hold a grudge, since the mob wanted to get rid of Popov anyways...so it has to do with Ranger."

"The kidnappers being Russian could be a coinci…." She starts, but I shut her up with a kiss, as a light goes off in my head.

"I love you" I grin and hop out of bed. I lean down once more to kiss her, before throwing on my clothes.

* * *

"Tank...I am on my way back...We have looked at this all wrong. Maybe this has nothing to do with Ranger" I tell him as I run out of the house minutes later.

"I will get right on that" Tank assures me and hangs up.

I make it back to the office in record time and as I arrive on the fifth floor there is a buzz with energy and new hope. Men are shouting instructions, papers are being run down to the 'Find Steph and Julie' Task force room and searches are being done. I have never seen the fifth floor so lively.

I make my way to the conference room, where Tank has put up white boards and is currently taping pictures to them. "Are we going back to the 20th century?" I question and motion towards the white boards.

"Contármelo! (Tell me about it.)" Hector grumbles. "Podría poner toda esa información en la pantalla en este momento." (I could put all of that information onto the screen right now)

"The screen is too small...this is better" Tank answer.

"Demasiado pequeña (Too small)" Hector shakes his head in disbelieve. "Hay cuatro pantallas de 110 pulgadas... cuánto más grande quieres ser? (There are four 110 inch screens... how much bigger do you want them to be?)"

I bite back a smirk and walk past Hector, who's back I clap in sympathy, towards the boards. "That is everybody Steph ever brought in when she was a bounty hunter…" Tank explains his system. "That is from her family and this one from Joe."

"What about Julie's previous foster parents and her mother. Ranger said Rachel wasn't really happy to see them." I point out.

"I ruled out Rachel, because she signed away her rights." Tank tells me. "Plus I checked her and her husband's bank records, no unusual payouts….All foster families are up there."

"Boss!" Manny comes running into the room and nearly crashes into a whiteboard, which Tank is just pushing away. He looks down onto his tablet and swipes something from it to one of the screens Hector was just talking about. "Mary Green, Julie's last foster mother, was released from prison three months ago."

"Reason?" I probe. That woman got the maximum sentence of 14 years and therefore she should be still rotting in prison.

"Model prisoner and overcrowding." Manny answers.

"Why did this not come up in our alert system?" Tank growls.

"The prisons system was down due to maintenance." Manny answers.

"Por dos meses? Altamente improbable (For two months? highly unlikely)" Hector says and starts hitting the keyboard on his laptop like a madman. "Ellos fueron cortados (They were hacked)"

"Can't be a coincidence!" I remark.

"Find the connection!" Tank shouts. "I want to know everything in ten minutes!"

* * *

 **What did you think?**


	11. The Escape

**Steph's POV**

 _The next morning_

"This is useless" I sigh and slide to the ground next to the bed.

All night we have been trying to remove some wiring from the metal slats, but without success. Our hands are now bloody and very painful. Combine that with my throbbing arm and you have a very bad tempered Steph.

We were lucky that the guards didn't get suspicious, when they brought dinner last night.

"Mom, we gotta find something...the goons are coming back any moment." Julie points out. She is right. The sun is coming up, which means they will come and give us food and collect us to go to the toilet.

"We try to make our break when they bring us to the toilet" I inform her. The Toilet is outside, close to the big shed and we could make it, if we distract the guards long enough or take them out completely. The latter is highly unlikely, as they are both massive and mean looking man. They rival Tank in size. "I will make sure you have enough time to get away."

"What about you?" my daughter questions with a worried expression.

"I will be right behind you...but if I don't make it, you run like hell and don't look back." I instruct her. We probably should have tried this earlier, but I figured we are safer where we were, since I didn't know how far from a city we are. I didn't want us wandering around in some desert or forest.

And since Julie doesn't know where the money is, Mary won't have much use for us anymore. And I bet my life on it, that she won't just let us go. "Julie...we have no choice. When we make away we run towards the containers and into the woods behind them. Just keep going straight, towards that city."

"Ok" Julie nods and comes over to where I am sitting. "I love you, Mom."

"I love you too" I kiss the top of her head and smile. She is the best thing that ever happened to me.

Suddenly the door bounces open and the two men walk in, without food. "Get up" Goon number one growls and we do as we are told. They tie our hands together, guide us out of the room, down the stairs and outside.

I look at Julie and my heart stats beating a mile a minute. This is it, this is our window. I nod at Julie and she nods back.

With all of the strength I have left in my body, I jab my elbow of my good arm into my kidnapper's stomach. He is momentarily stunned, but unfortunately the elbow didn't do enough damage and he grabs for me again.

I run my semi long nails across his face, leaving nice red marks in their wake, and lift my knee to kick him in the balls. But in that same moment he turns, making me hit his thigh instead.

Now what I do next, I have only ever seen happen in movies or that one time I saw the men from Rangemen practice it in the gym. I bring my right foot, with as much force as I can muster, down onto the side of his knee.

His knee snaps into a weird angle and a smile spreads across my face. _I can't wait to tell Ranger about this._

My goon screams in pain and goes down like a soccer player who has just been fouled. I look at Julie, who has managed to hit her kidnapper in the face with her elbows and into the balls with her knee, and we both start running towards the sea containers.

I hear someone shout something in a different language and then a gunshot rings through the air. In the next second incredible pain courses through my body. I trip over my own feet and face plant the gravel.

"MOM" Julie shouts and stops running to help me up.

"Julie...just run!" I instruct her. "You gotta go!"

"Not without you!" Julie insists and pulls me up by my good arm.

"Arggg" I scream in pain, but start moving with her nevertheless.

"Mom, we gotta go quicker. They are coming" Julie says, when she looks behind us, and starts speeding up. Every fibre of my body just wants to lie down, but for Julie's sake I keep moving.

We don't stop, we run and run and run, until I can't run anymore. "Julie...you gotta go on without me" I tell her, glide down onto the ground next to a small creek.

"No Mom, I am not leaving you." She says stubbornly.

"Listen to me...I am bleeding heavily. And they will find the trail of blood eventually, if they haven't already. The bullet is still in me and I am only slowing you down….You follow this creek. Walk in the water so they can't follow your trail. I will stay here and find cover somewhere." I instruct her. I have seen this in the movies, surely this can work in real life too, right? "You remember Rangemen's number?"

Ranger made us memorize the number just in case something ever happened or we were stranded without a phone.

"Yes" Julie nods.

"Ok…" I nod. "You find a phone and you call them."

"I don't know if I can do this." Julie says and looks down to the ground.

"You are one of the strongest person I know. You ran away from these people once before, I now you can do it again." I tell her. "Now the city isn't far away. Probably about 20km...I know you can make it." I am purely guessing here, but I won't tell her that. I need her to believe that she can make it. Otherwise she probably won't leave me.

"I love you Mom" She hugs me and I kiss her cheek. "I will be back."

"I know you will be...now get going" I say and make a shooing motion. "Oh Julie…"

"Mh?" She looks back at me.

"Bring me a doughnut or a Tasty cake...I am really low on sugar" I smirk.

"Gotcha" She nods, steps into the creek and starts walking. As she is just about to be out of side, she turns and waves.

 _Now where am I going to hide?_

* * *

 **Tank's POV**

"Boss" Cal knocks on the conference room door and I motion for him to come in. "It took us awhile, but I think we found where they could be hiding."

"Spit it out Cal" I growl.

"We found a property about 30km away from Trenton. The property was owned by a company called Demol. They took old cars and shipped them overseas or sold their parts. Company went broke a few years back." Cal explains. "Company's owner was a Tyron Webster. He is Cletus Green's uncle's brother in law."

"Good Job" I say, grab my gun out of my drawer and stand. "Get a team ready to move out in two."

* * *

 **Julie's POV**

The cool water has long soaked my sneakers and I make squishy noises with every step I take. I am shaking, even though it is a relatively warm day.

I am not sure how long ago I left Steph behind, but it feels like ages. I just hope I find help in time. Instead of going down the road, of what will happen if I don't, I rather think about what we can do in the autumn school break.

Mom said she always wanted to go and see the Niagara Falls. I always said that would be lame to go there only to see some water run over some cliff, but maybe I should just give it a try. Would be nice, just the two of us. We haven't been on a trip together, because Steph never had the money.

"Hey kid, you ok?" Someone calls out behind me, making me nearly trip over my own feet mid run.

I carefully turn around and see a young man standing between the trees, with a rifle in one hand and a brown haired retriever sitting by his feet. "I won't hurt you…" He says as I eye his rifle. "I am just out here hunting…" And with that he puts down the rifle and leans it against a tree close by. "I saw you running down stream...You ok?" He probes and nods towards my bloody jacket.

"Not mine" I manage to get out. "Stop...don't come closer" I tell him as he starts moving towards me.

"I just want to help...I am Brian and this is Stella." The man with blonde hair and blue eyes nods towards his dog.

"Do you have a phone?" I question.

"Yes I do, but I don't have reception here. Only further down the stream." He informs me.

"Oh" I frown. "Well I gotta keep going."

"Here" He says, takes the phone out of his pocket and holds it out to me. "Take it...it shouldn't be far until you reach a spot where you can get reception."

"Won't you need it?" I probe.

"I will call you when I need it back...deal?" Brian responds with a small smile.

"Ok" I nod and carefully take the phone of him, all the while keeping an eye on him, in case she tries something funny.

"Good luck" He adds, moves backwards with Stella by his side and grabs his rifle on the way.

I watch him, until he disappears behind some trees, before I turn and keep running down the stream.

About ten minutes later, I enter a clearing with a small lake and the phone beeps, indicating that I have a signal. "Please...Please work" I pray, typing in the memorized number, before hitting the dial button.

* * *

 **Tank's POV**

"There is nothing here Boss" Manny informs me after we searched the grounds. "No indication of the girls ever being here."

I only nod and lean against the car. This is getting ridiculous. We have the best resources on our hands and yet we cannot find Julie and Steph.

Suddenly my phone rings and I pick up without looking at the caller ID. "Report"

"I have Julie on the phone, she is asking for you. I will patch her through. Hector is already tracking her signal" Binkie informs me and then there is a click in the line, telling me that he patched her through.

"Julie?" I ask.

"Tank...Oh...Thank god...I didn't know if this phone would be working or if I was remembering the right number...I am glad Dad made us memo…" Julie rambles on.

"Julie...are you ok?" I interrupt her and motion for Les and the others to gather around. "Do you know where you are?"

"No...I ...I don't know...we saw a city from our room….but we had to get out of there...so we run...Oh go…" She cries. To me it sounds like she is going to start hyperventilating any moment.

"Listen...everything will be alright...but you have to stay with me kiddo…" I nearly beg. "Take deep breaths...everything will be alright."

"Tank?" She asks.

"Yes?" I answer.

"Mom...she was shot...She told me to leave her behind...You gotta come quickly." Julie tells me, making my heart plummet to my stomach. _Shit._

"We will be there soon...hold on for one second." I say and mute the phone. "Hector?"

"Beaver Madows lake, Allegheny National forrest cerca de Owls Nest Road." He says through the speaker of Bobby's phone.

"That is a five hour drive" Lester closes his eyes in resignation.

"So the city they saw...could have been Ridgway…" Bobby points out whilst looking at the map over Lester's shoulder.

"Alert local authorities." I order, before unmuting Julie. "Julie...you are a bit farther away from us than anticipated, but we will be there soon...I promise. Just stay on the line ok?"

"Ok" she says.

 **BANG**

 **BANG**

"JULIE? JULIE" I shout down the phone.

* * *

 **Don't hate me :D**


	12. Safety

**Author's Note**

 **I have been away on holiday and this week at work has been very crazy, so I haven't been able to update.**

 **I hope you enjoy this.**

 **Erdi**

* * *

 **Julie's POV**

 **BANG**

 **BANG**

I drop to the ground as soon as the first shot rings through the air and hope that they won't kill me.

"JULIE? JULIE" I hear Tank shout down the phone, which is lying somewhere close by.

"You can get up...they are dead" Brian says softly, before he touches my shoulder. "Noooo Stella!" He sighs, but before he can even finish that sentence, Stella is already licking my face. "I am so sorry….Stella! Sit!"

The dog does as she is told with a bit of whining and I slowly lift my head. Brian holds a hand out to me and when I take it, he pulls me of the ground right into him. "You ok?"

"Mhhh" I nod and try not to look up at him. I am sure I look like a mess. Instead I try to look around him.

"Don't look..." He says in almost a whisper and envelopes me into a hug.

"JULIE! JULIE ANSWER ME GOD DAMN IT" Tank's voice is booming through the phone's speaker somewhere on the ground.

My hands are starting to shake and I am not trusting myself to let go of Brian without sacking back to the ground. "Stella, get me the phone" Brian orders and Stella does as she is told.

"My name is Brian Stevenson. The girl is fine" He informs Tank, once he brings the phone to his ear. "Yes Sir...they are dead...I was out here hunting...I understand Sir...704 Fairview Hill...of course… I will call you as soon as we found her."

He holds the phone out to me and says "He would like to speak to you."

I take the phone from him, but keep my arms around Brian. I don't trust my legs just yet. "T-Tank?"

"You ok Julie?" Tank's voice softens with concern.

"I am fine…" I assure him.

"I don't trust anyone, especially strangers in the woods, but Hector has just run a search on him and he seems to check out. Be careful though." Tank says.

"Don't worry Uncle Tank" I tell him.

"Ha...don't worry...you are kidding me right?" Tank sighs. I can almost see him rubbing his bald head in frustration.

"Do me a favour and let Uncle Lester drive...otherwise you might take two days to get here." I retort and hear people laugh in the background.

"Copy that" Tank says and hangs up.

"Come on...let's find your mother" Brain, pockets the phone and guides me away from the scene.

"W-W-What ab-about th-th-them?" I ask with shattering teeth. He lets go off me and slips out of his zip-up hoodie.

"They won't harm you anymore." He assures me and adds "You are going into an Adrenaline crash…" and with that wraps the hoodie around me. "But you gotta try to fight it. We need to find you mom first."

Together we start walking up stream in silence with Stella running a few meters ahead of us. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

"No...Not yet…" I shake my head and slip my arms through the massive sleeves.

"Well then how about I tell you a story instead? About what happened to me and Stella last week?" He asks and without waiting for my answer he launches into an explanation.

* * *

"I think I remember this" I say and look around. Brian has kept my mind occupied with funny stories about him and Stella for the whole way up stream. I couldn't muster up any laughs, but I appreciate his effort nevertheless.

"Ok" He nods. "Then let's look around...come on Stella...look around!"

"Mom?" I shout. "Steph where are you?"

"Julie...over here" Brian shouts just seconds later and crouches down behind a bush. I quickly run over, just as he pulls her out. Mom is pale and her shirt blood soaked. "We gotta turn her over...help me."

I do as I am told. Brian lifts the back of her shirt and inspects the wound. "She is weak….What is her name?"

"Steph" I answer.

"Steph…" he lightly claps her cheeks and Mom's eyes flutter open.

"You are not Ric" She says disappointed.

"No Mam, I am Brian. A friend of Julie's...listen you have to stay with me ok?" He says and then looks at me. "Can you call your friends?"

I nod and take the phone from him. I hit redial and seconds later I am connected to Tank again. "Mom is weak."

"Put me on speaker. I have Bobby here with me." Tank instructs and once again I do what I am told.

"Brian?" Bobby's voice comes loudly through the speaker. "Is there an exit wound?"

"No" Brian answers without missing a beat.

"Ok...do you have a knife, a lighter and water with you?" Bobby probes.

"Yes to the former to, no to the latter" my newfound friend answers. "But I have an empty bottle."

"Ok, Julie, go to the creek and get some water, Brian you need to heat the blade so you can stop the bleeding." Bobby tells us.

I quickly grab the bottle from Brian, place the phone next to Mom's feet and run down to the creek. Once the bottle is filled I make my way back just as quickly. "What am I doing with the water?" I question towards the phone.

"Give it to Steph to drink and find something for her to be able to sink her teeth in. What Brian is going to do will hurt a lot." Bobby advises me.

"When will you be here?" I ask and watch Brian start a fire.

"We should be there in a couple of hours." Bobby says honestly.

"How many traffic laws are you going to break?" Mom questions weakly, making the guys on the other end of the line chuckle.

"You are worth more than any fine I will ever get from breaking those laws beautiful...so don't worry" Lester answers smoothly.

"You are a charmer" Mom smiles.

"Alright...Knife is hot" Brain says a few minutes later. "This is going to hurt...I am sorry."

"It's ok" Mom nods and bites down on the stick I found. I grab her hand for her to squeeze, just as Brian presses the knife to her back. "Argggggg" She screams.

"Ridgeway PD call out" Someone shouts from far away and I close my eyes in relief.

"Here, Dad...we are here" Brian shouts back.

"Dad?" I raise an eyebrow at him.

"My father is the Sheriff in Ridgway" He answers.

* * *

"Finally" I run towards Lester in full speed and nearly knock him of his feet as I hug him.

"Alright kiddo?" He asks and kisses my head.

"Mom is still in surgery" I inform them.

"How are you doing?" Bobby looks me up and down on the search for injuries.

"I am ok. They checked me out and it's all good." I assure him.

"I believe it when I checked you out myself" He grumbles and pulls me into a hug as well.

"Ah the cavalry is here" Brian says behind us.

"These are Lester, Bobby, Tank, Manny and Cal" I introduce them.

"Nice to meet you" They all shake hands. "Ok...I better be off then."

"Thank you" I hug Brian as well. "I will never be able to repay you for what you have done."

"Don't sweat it" He nods.

"If you are ever in Trenton, come by" Tank says, before Brian hands me the coffee he got for me.

"Will do" he says, nods and he turns away.

* * *

 **Steph's POV**

A few hours later

"Urggg" I groan, as I open my eyes and the bright Hospital lights blind me.

"Mom?" Julie almost whispers and I can feel her squeezing my hand.

"Hey" I smile. I once again attempt to open my eyes. This time the bright lights are not that much of a shock and I can fully open them. "Are you ok?"

"I should be asking you that question" Julie smiles.

"I am fine" I assure her. "Just another bullet wound. Mom is going to have a field day."

"They are on their way" Julie informs me and I bite back another groan.

"Excellent" I answer. I bet my mother is going to iron all their clothes once they get back home. "So tell me what happened. My mind is a bit fuzzy after I got shot."

* * *

 **Tank's POV**

"They are safe" I inform Ranger.

"You caught the bastards?" Ranger probes.

"The Russians are dead, but we can't find Mary." I admit. "Joe released her picture to every law enforcement agency in the country and then some….We will find her." I assure my best friend.

"Connection between the Russians and Mary?" Ranger enquiries.

"An old debt as far as we can tell" I inform him. "Alexei's father, Dimitri, who was a Spy, was Cletus Greens cellmate back in the 80's. According to Prison records Cletus saved Dimitri's life when a riot broke out. We didn't make the connection earlier, because we always worked under the assumption that it had to do with your op."

"I am glad it's over" Ranger says with a sigh. I bet he hasn't slept since I gave them the news a few days ago.

"Now don't do that" I order.

"Do what?" Ranger retorts.

"Shut yourself off...This wasn't your fault nor had it anything to do with your mission. Don't push them away" I advise him.

"Pierre…" Ranger sighs again on the other end, letting me know to treat carefully. He is one of the handful of people who can get away with calling me by my real name, same is I am one of the only few people who can get away with calling him out on his shit.

"No you listen" I press on. "They are safer with you around...so finish that goddamn assignment and get your ass home soldier."

"I am coming up empty. None of the employees have anything to do with the Islamic State, yet the Intel says someone clearly is in bed with them." Ranger admits.

"Maybe you need a fresh set of eyes. I can be there in 20 hours." I tell him.

"Let me clear it with Carter" Ranger says and hangs up on me.

Seems like I have to dig up my winter coat. God I hate the cold.


	13. Betrayal

**Ranger's POV**

 _30 Hours later_

I draw my coat tighter around me and pull my beanie further down over my ears, to protect myself from the wind and snow. Russia has gotten very cold over the last few days. It has snowed non stop, making me wish I was in Trenton even more.

When Tank called me to say Julie and Steph are safe, my heart plummeted into my stomach out of relief. It took a lot of effort on my part not to constantly smile.

I see a small plane starting to descend on the horizon and it stops just a few hundred meters away from me. "You are late" I point out, as Paul Hanley opens the cargo door of his rust bucket of a plane.

"Well... why do you have to have an assignment in bloody Russia, where snow storms are a regular occurrence?" He questions and shoots me an accusatory look. "You know how much I fucking hate Russia!"

"Me and you both" Tank says as he emerges from the cockpit.

"Next time: request a sunny country" Hanley tells me and rubs his naked arms. "It's too fucking cold here."

"I agree with that" Tank mumbles.

"You should dress more appropriately for the climate you are flying into" I point out and shake my head at Hanleys get up. He is dressed in a bright red and yellow Hawaiian shirt with black shorts and flip flops on his feet. "And those are not smart shoes to fly in."

"Get Stuffed" He grins. "Lucky I will only be here a couple of days."

Paul Hanley and I go way back. He used to work for the CIA and we met as he saved my ass 5 years ago in the Brazilian jungle. I still grimaze at what a close call that was. Seconds later and my ass would have been grass.

"Let's get going, we have a lot of ground to cover" I tell them and walk away from the plane, towards my parked black SUV.

* * *

 _One day later_

"How did I not see this?" I question out loud and look at the evidence in front of me.

"I don't think you wanted to see it" My best friend points out. "You always had a blind spot for him, despite me telling you for years that there is something off about him."

"Don't beat yourself up, Ranger" Hanley says and hands me a glass of whiskey. "I didn't see it either."

We stay quiet for a while and go over the evidence again, just to make sure this is correct. In the end the outcome is the same.

"Alright, time to go. I want to get this done and over with, so I can get back to Julie and Steph." I say. My blood is boiling and I am nearly shaking with anger.

"I will come with you" Tank stands. "Lucky I brought my dress uniform." He smirks. He loves wearing that thing. He says it makes him look even more menacing. "Just play it cool and calm. No need to shout."

"You have known me for a long time, Tank. When I have I ever not been cool and calm?" I question. "And since when are you using the word cool? You clearly have been hanging around too much with my daughter…"

* * *

Half an hour later we pull up in front of the Embassy. Tank and I walk right past my office, down the hall and into the part where Andy Reagan's office is located.

"Mr. Manoso, you can't go in there" his secretary Romina exclaims and starts to get up from her seat, but one look at my don't-fuck-with-me face and she sits back down.

I throw open the door to Andy Reagan's office and it bounces of the wall with a loud bang, making Andy and his guest jump.

"Out...now" I growl. The young man in a suit, instantly jumps up and leaves the room, obviously deciding it wasn't worth arguing with me.

"What do you think you are doing?" Andy almost shouts and walks around his desk.

"Sit back down" I growl and shoot him a glare, meanwhile Tank is closing the door behind us.

"The hell I will...you can't just storm in here and tell my guests to leave. Manoso you are way out of line." Andy bellows.

"SIT. YOUR. ASS. DOWN" To hell with my usual cool demeanor, patience and calmness.

To my surprise Andy does what I told him to do and sits back down behind his desk. I come to sit in one of the chairs in front of it and try to calm myself down a little.

"Not exactly cool and calm" Tank mutters under his breath and despite everything I have to smirk a little.

I take a moment to compose my self and choose my words. "You specifically requested me for this detail" I start. "You specifically ask for me to come here and find the mole. Did you really think I wasn't going to find out? That I wouldn't dig deep enough to figure it out?" I laugh and shake my head. "I have resources, which even the highest US government agencies can only dream off and you thought I wouldn't find out?"

"I don't know what you are talking about" Andy replies with a neutral look on his face.

"Then let me enlighten you...you are the one with the Islamic State connections" I tell him.

"Manoso, I would tread cautiously with these accusations" He warns me.

"There is evidence all over the place. All this time, I didn't see it or didn't want to see it, because of our personal history...Then my friends fly in and point out the obvious to me….That you have been feeding information to ISIS for the last couple of years and that you are part of that sleeper cell." I add. "I mean it makes sense. You have friends in high places in Moscow. You are trusted, you hear confidential things and no one would ever come think off you leaking information."

"But what I cannot figure out is the why. Why did you do it? Why did you betray your oath, your country and everything I thought you stood for?" I question.

"You are insane" he scoffs and I throw the folder with the evidence on his desk.

"Don't worry...these are copies." I inform him. "The originals are on their way to my supervisor."

He slowly opens the folder and looks at the papers in it. With each page he turns, his face get whiter.

"It is over Andy" I say. "This will put you in prison for a long, long time."

"No it won't...I have a lot of very valuable information on ISIS and the sleeper cell. Moscow and Washington will fight over this and I won't spend a day behind bars." He replies smugly. "I will spend the rest of my life a free man."

"No you won't" I disagree. "The CIA will hide you away, debrief you to no end and you won't leave a CIA Black site for the rest of your life. Your life won't be urs, it will be theirs. Now tell me why you did it?"

"We will see about that" He grins. "Why? I served my country proudly for years and nothing... nothing good ever came from it. We killed more people than we helped. Afghanistan, Iraq and now Syria...come on... these countries didn't need our help. ISIS is the only one that is standing up against the US and the western world. They have enough money and power to bring us down."

"And you want to live in a world ruled by the Islamic state?" I question in disbelief. "Do you even know what they really stand for...what their beliefs are?"

"I don't need to...they are going to bring us the third world war and the US is finally going to get their share of death." Andy replies in all honesty. "We have done it to their countries for years, it is time for payback."

"You are insane" Tank mutters in the background.

"You are delusional….How long?" I question.

"It struck me nine years ago in Afghanistan." he answers.

"I can't believe all of this. You betrayed our country and lied to me." The last part stings. I think of myself and Tank as being a good judges of character. The only time we ever disagreed was when I met Andy. Tank didn't like him from the get-go, but I thought he was trustworthy.

"Kid, I didn't lie to you...I just never told you the truth" Andy says.

"Is Maya in on it?" I probe.

"No" He instantly shakes his head. "She has nothing to do with this."

"We will see about that" I tell him, stand and pull out my cuffs. "Ambassador Reagan, you are hereby under arrest for supporting the Islamic State and leaking confidential information. Anything you say can and will be used in the court of law. You have the right to a lawyer. If you cannot afford one, one will be provided for you. Did you understand these rights?"

Andy simply nods, but before I can even round the table, Andy pulls a gun, which I didn't know he owned, from below his desk and holds it to his head.

"Andy...don't do this" I tell him and out of my peripheral vision I can see Tank pulling his own gun.

Andy looks me right in the eye, as if he wants to make sure I understand his point. "I will not spend the rest of my life in prison or in a CIA Black Site….Tell Maya I love her and that I am sorry…"

 **BANG**

It all happens in slow motion for me.

I have seen a handful of people kill themselves in front of me, but it never gets any easier to watch. I know that I will replay this moment over and over in my dreams for the foreseeable future. Watching the lights go out in his eyes, the blood splatter all over me, the desk and the wall.

"Ric" Tank places a hand carefully on my shoulder.

"I am ok" I nod and turn towards Tank.

The door flies open and Andy's assistant comes running in and right behind her are the MP's. "OH MY GOD" She screams in horror, when she sees her boss lying on the ground.

* * *

 _A few days later_

"You are free to go Manoso" Carter says and motions towards the open door. I have been in debriefing for the last three days, answering the same questions over and over again.

"We gotta talk about the remaining time on my contract." I tell him.

"Give me a call when you are state side." He nods.


	14. Coming Home

**Author's Note**

 **Thank you all for your continuing support of this story.**

 **You guys are awesome.**

 **There are at least a couple of more chapters to come…and who knows maybe Brian will make another appearance.**

 **But first things first: Ranger is home!**

 **Enjoy**

* * *

 **Steph's POV  
** _20 hours later_

"Will you stop fussing please?" I beg Julie, as she jumps up to help me move over to the door, where someone just knocked.

"You got shot only a few days ago and Bobby said that you have to be careful with your movements" Julie explains with a sigh. That seems to be her favourite sentence at the moment.

"You two are as bad as each other" I mutter and stop dead in my tracks. "Since you are up, you may as well answer the door."

"See…not so hard to let others do things for you" Julie smirks and opens the door. "DAD" She exclaims and throws her arms around Ranger. He drops his duffle bag and hugs her tight, but over her shoulder, he runs his worry filled eyes over my whole body.

"You shouldn't be moving around" Ranger comments, as he fully steps into the apartment and Julie closes the door behind.

"Told you" Julie exclaims smugly.

"Urrggg will all of you stop fussing" I roll my eyes at both of them. "HEY" I yelp when Ranger picks me up and carries me back to the couch. "My legs are still working, you don't need to carry me."

"Just ignore her…that's what I do" Julie sits down on the one seater.

"Your legs may still work, but you could pull your stitches" Ranger points out, places me down on the couch, sits down himself and drags my legs into his lap.

* * *

"Good night" Julie gives us a sleepy finger wave and stalks of to her room.

"Finally" Ranger mutters, before he leans forward and his lips come crashing down onto mine. My whole body starts tingling of excitement. I have been waiting for this for months.

Ranger brings his right hand up to cradle my face and pushes me further into the couch.

"Argg" I wince in pain, as something hard pushes into my wound. Ranger instantly jerks away, looking at me with concern. A small whimper escapes my mouth, as he completely pulls off me. "I want to keep kissing you" I pout.

"You are in pain." He points out to me.

I dig my hand between my back and the couch cushions and pull out the pain causing device. My cell phone. "All good, now come back here" I say, even though my wound is throbbing like crazy. I pull at his shirt, trying to bring him closer again, but he stays where he is and shakes his head.

"This is not a good idea" He declares and puts his blank face in place. I feel like I have been slapped and my heart plummets into my stomach. "Oh no, no, no…I mean, this is not a good idea right now" He adds hastily, when he sees the look of hurt on my face. "I don't want to cause you more pain."

"Oh…how gentlemanly of you" I say, causing him to smirk.

"Believe me, the last thing I want to be is a gentleman right now…" _**HOLY HOT FLASH**_ "…but like I said, I don't want to cause you any pain." He replies.

"You want to sleep here tonight?" I question, crossing my fingers and toes in the hope that he would say yes.

"You sure you won't dry hump me during the night?" Ranger shoots me his thousand watt smile.

"I am not a dog, you know" I pretend to pout again. "It's going to be hard….but I promise I won't dry hump you."

"Good" He nods, obviously satisfied with my answer, before getting up and lifting me from the couch.

I could get used to being carried around by him!

* * *

 **Ranger's POV**

 **BANG**

I jerk awake, grabbing my gun in the same movement from Steph's bedside table and point it at the offending darkness.

"You ok?" Steph questions in a voice that makes me think that she hasn't been sleeping at all. The moon light is lighting up the room a little bit and I can make out that she is spotting a worried expression on her face.

"Yeah…sorry" I apologize and put the gun back onto the bedside table. "Why are you not sleeping?"

"You were tossing and turning…clearly having a nightmare" She shrugs. The guilt of it hits me hard. I shouldn't have stayed the night. Especially since I know how I am, after coming back from a mission. I thought this time may be different since I wasn't in a war zone, but I was just kidding myself.

"I am so, so sorry Steph" I tell her. "I will go."

"Tell me" She orders and when I shoot her a confused look, she adds "Tell me about your nightmares."

"Steph…" I sigh, lay back down and put my right arm under my head. "That is not a good idea…" Especially because I would need to explain them and when I do she will realize what kind of monster I am, what I have done.

"Talking about it may help" She retorts and rolls on her good side to get a better look at me.

"I have talked about it enough…it won't help" I retort angrier than I intended. She intertwines our hands without saying a word; giving me silently support.

After a while I give in, because I cannot stand the silence between us anymore. Which is funny, since I have never been a talkative person. "The nightmares are real memories, which I try to forget and supress. During the day it is easy, as I stick to a strict schedule and keep my mind occupied with other things, but when I go to sleep my mind brings them back." I swallow hard before I continue.

The only time I ever talk about this is with my Shrink after I come back from a mission. Tank, Les, Bobby and I don't talk about it, as each of us deals with this stuff in a different way. Tank has his kittens, Les turns to humour and mischief and Bobby is now a Doctor; trying to save people instead of killing them.

"It is worse when I get back from a mission. I figured this time it wouldn't be as bad, since I didn't encounter combat…" I shrug my shoulders. "Someone killed himself in front of me." I admit and wait to see her reaction, but I get none. Steph is still keeping silent, waiting for me to get it all out.

"I knew him personally. In fact he saved my life a long time ago. Turns out he wasn't the person I thought he was…for some diluted reason he was supporting the Islamic State…I found out and he killed himself, with me watching." I inform her. "But that is not just it…the nightmares sometimes scramble the memories together and it turns into a real shit show….the things I have done…if you knew, you wouldn't look at me the same way and would keep Julie away."

"That is not true" Steph insists, making me snort. "That is not true... I got to know you, before you went away and you are a good guy. It doesn't matter to me what you have done out there."

"You don't get…" I start, but she interrupts me with a squeeze of her hand.

"Yes, I don't know what horrific things you encountered on your missions, but I assume you had to do them to keep yourself alive or because Uncle Sam had ordered you do carry them out." She says with a lot of conviction in her voice. "And that your friend killed himself, isn't on you. He took the coward's way out and I am sorry that you had to witness that. You are a good guy and it is clear that you wouldn't do me or Julie any harm."

"I would love to kill Mary though" I admit, hoping to make her see what monster I am. That I am not good. That she should run for the hills.

"Me and you both" she nods. "And if her goons weren't dead, I would kill them as well."

"You keep surprising me" I tell her and she raises an eyebrow in question. I roll onto my side as well, bring her hand to my lips and kiss her knuckles. "The moment I think I have figured you out, you surprise me with statements like this."

"You do know I used to be a bounty hunter right?" She asks. "I did have one or two close calls and on one occasion I had to shoot someone. I was shaking so much, I didn't even hit the person…it surprised the hell out of the skip though, which I used to my advantage to cuff him."

"But that goes to show how good you are, you wouldn't kill someone" I point out.

"That's where you are wrong" She advised me and barely can keep the grin from her delicious lips. "Part of my family is in the Mafia…I know how to draw someone an Acid."

"Alright…alright godfather…you clearly have what it takes" I laugh and pull her in for a short, but sweet kiss. "Thank you."

"For what?" Steph looks at me confused.

"Distracting me…making me… _talk_ " I grimace, making her laugh.

"You are welcome" She nods and pulls me in for another kiss.

* * *

 **Steph's POV**

This kiss deepens, just as someone knocks on my bedroom door. "Urgg" I groan and lay my head on Ranger's very naked chest in frustration. My hormones doing the Mambo dances, hoping to get lucky and we keep getting distracted.

"Are you guys decent?" Julie questions loudly through the door.

"How does she know that I stayed?" Ranger whispers.

"VERY, VERY thin walls" Julie laughs and my shoulders shake with laughter.

"Come in" I call out, when Ranger flicks on the bedside lamp.

"You sure you are decent?" Julie asks carefully, when she enters the room, with one of her hands covering her eyes.

"No" I grin and Julie drops her hand.

"Very funny." My daughter rolls her eyes.

"Not that I love your nightly visits…but what do you want?" I probe.

"Oh right…I think I know who could have the money." She declares. "Jason."

"Jason?" Ranger looks at Julie with a raised eyebrow.

"The boy who taught her how to pick pocket" I inform him.

* * *

 **What did you think?**


	15. Old Friends

**Author's Note**

 **Happy Friday everybody!**

 **Thank you for the comments. As usual they make me extremely happy and grinning like a fool.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Steph's POV**

Ranger jumps out of bed, grabs his phone and leads Julie into the living room.

"Have you heard what happened to Jason after Mary and her husband were arrested?" I hear Ranger asking her, while I slowly get out of bed. I put on my fluffy pink robe, a present from Julie for mother's day, on and follow them into the living room.

"No" Julie shakes her head.

"Do you know his last name?" Ranger probes and takes a laptop out of his duffle bag, which is still resting by the door.

"No" Julie shakes her head. "All I know is that he was with Mary for a lot longer than me, he was 16 at the time, and that he was born in Philly...I think I remember him telling me that he spend time in juvie for stealing."

"Why do you think that he has the money?" I ask and sit down on the couch, with the other two following suit. Ranger opens the laptop and starts typing.

"He always talked about how he would make a run for it and how he would take what is his when he did." Julie shrugs. "But he never really did and the night I left, he was still there."

"Alright...found him" Ranger announces.

"Really?" Julie and I say in unison.

"Yupp...wasn't hard. Just got Hector to hack me into the Database of the CPS" He answers almost too casually. "Jason got placed into a group home, after he ran away from Mary as well, where he stayed for a couple of years until his 18th birthday. He now works in a bar in Philly."

"Can we go tomorrow and visit him?" Julie questions, apparently eager to find out if he really has taken the money.

"After school" Ranger and I say at the same time.

"Fine" Julie huffs out and rolls her eyes.

* * *

 _The next evening_

The Blue Monkey, the bar Jason is working at, is a hipster bar full of bearded man with grandpa glasses and bowler hats. The women have 'naturally' messy hair dos, minimal makeup and both groups wear clothes that stem from the last century.

The bouncer lets Julie enter, only because Ranger flashes is Security card and assures the guy she wouldn't be drinking. Surprisingly the guy went for it. Had it only been Julie and me, he would have laughed at us.

"Do all bars look like this?" Julie probes innocently, when we make our way through the packed room towards the bar.

"No" I shout over the loud music. How do people talk to each other without losing their voices half through the night? We are not in a nightclub!

"Things have changed since our clubbing days huh?" Ranger whispers in my ear, making me shudder.

"Mhh" I only nod. He has been fussing over me all day, which was nice, but also frustrating. I don't need anyone helping me, this isn't my first gunshot wound.

"There he is" Julie shouts over the music and points at Jason, whose picture was shown to me by Ranger before we left. In that same moment Jason looks up and right at Julie. Shock is written all over his face, making me think he is going to bolt, but seconds later a wide grin spreads out on his face.

Jason says something to his colleague and motions for Julie to come to the far end of the bar, where it seems to be a little quieter.

"Tiny Hands" Jason laughs, picks Julie up and twirls her around. He is a good looking boy, with his blonde hair shaved down to only a few inches, a piercing in his right eyebrow and his skinny body stuffed into a blue flannel shirt and black jeans, with steel cap shoes on his feet. Out of the collar of his fully buttoned up shirt and his rolled up sleeves, poke several tattoos.

"Hey Jason" Julie hugs him tight, making me think that their relationship was more than Julie made it out to be. When she pulls back, I can see that her face is flushed.

"What are you doing here?" He asks and keeps staring at her, as if he cannot believe that she is really here.

"Could we talk somewhere more private?" Ranger questions, before Julie can answer, and Jason drags his eyes away from our daughter.

"Sure, I am done in half an hour. We can meet at the corner cafe?" Jason replies with a nod.

"Ok. We will meet you there" and with that Ranger ushers us out of the building.

"Do you think he will show?" I ask, once we are back outside.

"I think so. He seemed generally happy to see Julie." Ranger nods.

"Why wouldn't he be? We used to get along really good" Julie informs us.

* * *

 _1 hour later_

"I don't think he is going to show" Julie remarks disappointed.

"Alright, let me pay the bill and then we will go. I will come back here with the guys to talk to him." Ranger says and stands. One thing I have learned is never to offer to Ranger to pick up the bill. It seems to offend him.

"Hey...sorry guys" Jason shouts through the cafe and almost runs towards our table. "The other guy was late and the manager needed me to stay on."

"It's ok…" I assure him. "Would you like anything to eat or drink?" The boy looks like he needs a decent meal.

"I will get something later" He shrugs and sits down next to Julie in the booth.

"Dad, can you get him a Burger? And me and mom a chocolate milkshake?" Julie asks, before I can pipe in and assure him that he can have some food.

Ranger only nods and walks away. "So much for me being on a diet" I shake my head.

"Mom, you have tried that...and I don't want to be on the receiving end of your sugarless anger issues _again_." Julie quips.

"Mom? Dad?" Jason raises an eyebrow in question.

"Sorry, this is Stephanie Plum, my adoptive mom...and that over there" Julie points at Ranger "...is my biological father." For a moment Jason's face displays jealousy, but it's is gone seconds later.

"Nice to meet you" Jason shakes my end. "How have you been tiny fingers?"

"Better" Julie acknowledges and shoots me a smile. "How about you?"

"Also better" Jason nods.

"There is something we want to talk to you about…" I start, just as Ranger sits back down. Better to get this part over and done with.

"Mary is looking for her money" Julie informs her friend and he swallows hard. "She suspected me, since I ran away, but I didn't take it."

"If you did take it, we are not here to judge you or rat you out. We are here, because you could be in danger." Ranger explains. "Mary kidnapped Steph and Julie to find the money. I don't think she will be above resorting to more extreme measures to find it."

For a long time Jason stays quite. When our shakes and food arrives, we all dig into it. "I did take the money" He acknowledges, without looking up from his food, obviously determined that we are trustworthy. "150 000 Dollars" Jason adds in almost a whisper. "I took a little every time I was able to and after you ran away, I figured I would too. Wasn't worth staying there anymore. So I grabbed a bag and ran."

"Where is the money now?" Ranger probes.

"Hidden under the floorboards of my apartment" He advises us.

"Old school" I nod and make Jason smile. "I used hide my tasty cakes under them as I was a child." That gets me a smile and laugh from all three of them.

"I have hardly spent anything; was too afraid that someone would pick up on it and call the cops." Jason admits.

"There is a high chance she will come after you as well and we got to keep you safe until she is behind bars again." Ranger says. "It would be best if you would come with us to Trenton."

"No way...I am not afraid of Mary. She can come and try, but she won't be getting that money. I deserve that money, with all she made us do." He exclaims, making several heads turn in the diner, "I have a job here and I am not hiding from that evil witch."

"You don't understand Jason" Julie pleads. "She hired people to kidnap us and drag us away. Just by chance Mom and I were able to escape. Please...just stay with us for a few days. We can catch up and talk about the good old times….please...pretty please." _Damn she is good!_

"Julie...stop giving me that puppy eyed look...you know I can't say no if you do that" Jason sighs in frustration.

"Does it mean that you are coming with us?" A big smile breaks out on Julie's face, which resembles Ranger's.

"Yes...fine I will come with you" Jason nods and Julie throws her arms around him. "I just have to tell my boss."

* * *

 **What did you think?**


	16. Uncomfortable Conversations

**Author's Note**

 **Thank you all for the comments.**

 **We are now at 354 reviews and 173 Followers. This is the most I have ever gotten half way through a story.**

 **You guys are amazing!**

 **Thank you for reading!**

 **Erdi**

* * *

 **Ranger's POV**

"If you need anything, just dial 1 and the control room will pick up" I tell Jason "I will get our housekeeper to fill up your fridge tomorrow." I add before I close the door behind myself.

"I don't understand why he can't stay with us" Julie whines.

"The seventh floor does not have enough space for all of us." I lie. There is no way that I would let Jason sleep in the same room as Julie. Especially not after the way he looked at her earlier. I know that look. It was the same look I spotted on my face when I was his age and met a pretty girl. And that look gave me Julie.

"Your father is right" Steph says and tries to hide her smile, making Julie sigh.

"Fine" She huffs and together we make our way back up to the seventh floor. At the moment, Julie has to sleep on the pull out couch in my office, but next week I will get my contractor in, to knock down a few walls to the empty space next to my apartment. I hope she will stay over more often.

"You are unbelievable" Steph shakes her head and grins, when we walk into my bedroom and she closes the door behind herself.

"What?" I look at her confused.

"Not enough space for all of us on seven?" She raises an eyebrow. "Please this apartment is big enough to sleep at least three more people."

"I don't need the boy to get any ideas." I tell her and help her out of her jumper and pants.

"I can do this on my own" Steph protests half heartedly, obviously knowing I would ignore her.

"Do you not like me taking off your clothes?" I question and have to take a deep calming breath, when I look at her standing there in only her lacy underwear.

"In a different setting I would, but this...not so much" She huffs out. "But quit changing the subject. You don't have to worry about anything. Julie is a responsible kid."

"I will talk to her…" I swallow hard. "About...you know.."

"Sex?" Steph laughs. "That's a little too late. It already happened."

"WHAT?" I look at her bewildered. "You mean she already…?"

"Yes. She had a boyfriend a year ago. We talked about it, she is on the pill and everything is fine. Julie isn't reckless." Steph answers as if it isn't a big deal, turns around and pulls off her bra, before pulling on my Rangemen shirt I had laid out for her. "If I had known the boy would break her heart just a month later, I would have scared him off before that."

"How could you let that happen?" I ask. "She is far too young to have sex."

"What do you want me to do?" She questions. "Forbid it? Because that is impossible. She would do it regardless of what I say. I like that she trusted me enough to talk to me about it, because I surely didn't tell my mother when I had sex for the first time. I took Julie to the doctor, brought her condoms and she told me about it when it was over and done with."

"You...you could have…" I start, but come up blank.

"You got to trust her, or she won't trust you." Steph advises me.

"And that's why she was arrested? Because you trusted her?" I find myself questioning. And once again I dig my own hole. I promised myself and Lester that I would be calm and collected when we talked about this. I had imagined us three sitting around a table, discussing what had happened. I used to be so much more in control of myself, before these two barged into my life and turned it upside down.

"I trusted her to listen to me and she knows how much she fucked up. She won't do it again." Steph replies. "And to her defence, she didn't know that there was alcohol in the trunk. All she wanted was to get her friend's home safe. I prefer that, to what could have been the outcome of this. Two kids dead in a ditch, had Julie not interfered."

"They should have called a cab" I retort.

"Well, guess what? They didn't. She isn't allowed to go out for the foreseeable future and I suggested she'd stay away from Brian Barnhardt and Rumour Gilman." Steph informs me.

"Suggested? You should do more than suggest" I point out.

"Ranger…" Steph sighs, shakes her head and sits down on my bed. "When I was young, I would do the exact opposite to what my mother told me to do...this resulted in me breaking my arm, because I wanted to be wonder woman. So you have to understand that I do not want to repeat my mother's mistakes. You are more than welcome to do more than suggest to Julie, but in my opinion, it won't go down well."

"How are you so calm about this?" I question astonished. "I would be shouting of the top of my lunges."

"After what we have been through in the last week...shouting isn't going to help. Like I said she knows she made a mistake." Steph says and smiles. "You can talk to her, about the getting arrested and having sex. I won't interfere."

* * *

 _The next day_

"What is it Dad?" Julie asks and looks at me over her bowl of cereal.

"What do you mean?" I frighten ignorance.

"I have caught you looking at me multiple times in the past two minutes." She says. My daughter is observant.

"I got something I need to talk to you about" I start, but she instantly shakes her head.

"I heard you and Mom argue last night...so no need to talk about _that_ " Julie states.

"Well I still think we should still talk about it" I tell her. "Julie...I assume Joe told you about my past...that I spent time in Juvie?" Julie just nods. "Well I was a shithead of a kid. I got in with the wrong crowd and my parents tried to forbid me to see them, but I didn't listen… thought I owned the world.

Juvie isn't a good place to go, but that still didn't screw my head on right. After I got out, my parents sent me to Miami for a while. When I came back I went to study at Rudgers. I got into trouble with the law again and the judge gave me a choice, army or adult prison…"

"That wasn't in Joe's report" Julie points out.

"Maybe he forgot to mention it" I shrug. "My point is that I do regret falling in with the wrong crowd, but it also got me where I am today and you. I just don't want you repeating my mistakes. You can do better than this."

"I am sorry...I stuffed up I know that and it won't happen again. They are not my friends anymore." Julie confesses. "Brian didn't even admit that it was his alcohol in the back. He was just concerned about himself."

"He is an idiot" I inform her. "Now...about the other thing…"

"Oh no...please don't" Julie shakes her head and buries her face in her hands.

"I just want to make sure that you are safe" I tell her and she groans.

"Oh please let the earth open up and swallow me whole" Julie begs, making me smile.

"Hey…" I pull her hands away from her face. "I won't love you any less and I know you are a responsible kid... just be careful ok? I just think that having sex should be for two people that love each other." If my mother could hear this, she would smack me up the head, because she'd knew I am lying.

"Don't worry Dad, it hasn't happened since...now can I go? Please?" She nearly begs.

"Sure" I nod and the word is barely out of my mouth, when she is already half way across the room.

"Well that was uncomfortable" Steph comments from the bedroom room door. She is still only wearing my Rangemen shirt and the sight of her makes me rock hard instantly.

"You have no idea" I shake my head. "I will kill the boy who even gets the slightest idea of a sexual relationship with her. No way is she having sex while I am around."

"As long as she doesn't make me grandmother in my early 30's, I am happy" Steph shrugs and walks across the room. Any thoughts of Julie flee my mind and thoughts of Steph's legs wrapped around my hips, while I fuck her on the kitchen table enter my mind. "Do you really believe only people who love each other should have sex?"

"No" I scoff, draw my eyes away from her legs and towards her face.

"Good" She chuckles and sits down next to me at the table.

"You playing with fire Babe" I inform her and Steph shoots me a mischievous smile.

 _Oh I am in trouble!_


	17. The meeting

**I know it has been a long while since I visited this story and I am sorry.**

 **Now I cannot promise you regular updates, but I will try my best to finish this soon.**

 **Hope you enjoy this.**

 **Erdi**

* * *

 **Ranger's POV** _(Everything in Italics is supposed to be in Spanish)_

 _A few hours later_

I knock on Jason's door and push past the kid, once he opens it.

"What can I do for you Mr Manoso?" Jason questions and closes the door.

"I want to talk to you about Julie" I tell him, when I turn to face him. To look more intimidating, I cross my arms over my chest and assume a natural face.

"Is she ok?" Jason asks with a worried undertone, looking not the least bit intimidated.

"She is fine...you however won't be if you keep looking at her the way you do" I say in a threatening tone.

"Excuse me?" Jason questions and raises an eyebrow.

"I have been your age...and that is how Julie came about" I inform him. "She is a smart, responsible kid and she doesn't need any distractions in her life."

"You have the nerve..." Jason sighs and shakes his head.

"Don't get any ideas...off…" I swallow hard "having sex with her."

"Seriously Mr Manoso, you are so out of line" Jason exclaims. "You know you Daughter for what...five minutes? So don't give me this overprotective crap...I am Julie's friend for way longer than you have been her father and she has made it abundantly clear on multiple occasions that that is the only thing she wants. So back off!"

"You touch her, you hurt her in anyway...you will answer to me" I growl and walk out of the apartment more tense than I walked in. This is not the way I hoped this would go.

* * *

 **Steph's POV**

 _Later that day_

"Can you believe him?" Julie rants.

"What is wrong?" I question and look up from the sales report on my laptop. Throughout the past few months we had a steady incline on sales, which is terrific and I hope those numbers will keep climbing.

"Dad talked to Jason" She growls.

"Honey...you have to elaborate a little bit more. I still cannot read your mind." I tell her.

"Dad talked to Jason. Told him to back off and not to touch me. As if I want have sex with someone who I think of as my brother" She shudders and starts pacing the room. "That is so wrong."

"Oh Boy" That is all that comes out of my mouth.

"He has been in my life for what...a couple of months and he thinks he can just play the big protector...nahuuu never going to happen" Julie stops and stares at me.

"He just has your best interest in mind Hon" I say, place my laptop on the couch and stand. "Come here" I draw her into a hug her.

"I am so mad at him right now" Julie sighs.

"I know" I sigh too. "And I understand."

* * *

 **Ranger's POV**

 _The next day_

"One of my contacts found her" Matt, one of the new recruits announces, when he storms into my office. "My apologies Sir, I should have knocked first."

"Don't let it happen again" I snap. "Where?"

"In Tampa." He informs me. "Getting the confirmation right now." Matt used to traffic anything from drugs over animals to people from Asia to the States, but was only arrested on tax evasion. When he was released he turned his life around and came to work for me. It doesn't surprise me that one of his contacts found her, since he still knows a lot of people in the smuggling trade.

"Get the team together" I order and push myself out of my chair.

"I need to talk to you" Steph announces with a serious expression on her face, when she walks into my office just as Matt leaves.

"Ok. What is going on? Julie okay?" I ask and shut the door. The team can wait a few moments.

"You talked to Jason?" She questions straight up and crosses her arms in front of her chest. For a second I let my eyes get drawn to her breasts, which are on great display thanks to her low cut top, before I look at her face that tells me that I am in trouble.

"I did" I acknowledge.

"Why would you do something so stupid?" Steph looks at me and shakes her head. "Do you want to lose her? I get that you want to protect her, but believe me, this was the wrong thing to do. She has barely gotten used to having you in her life and she is just learning to trust you. Don't ruin that."

"I don't trust the kid...I mean Jason." I inform her. "I just want to protect her."

"I know you do. And you don't have to trust him." Steph advises. "Hell I have never trusted any of the guys she brought home, even if they were just friends. But I trust Julie. She is a good kid...well except for sneaking out of her room at night and going to a party...she is a good kid."

"I know" I nod. "I will talk to her." I add, just when someone knocks at the door.

"Boss, team is ready" Matt says through the closed door.

"Will be right there" I inform him.

"What is going on?" Steph probes.

"One of Matt's contacts found Mary" I pull her closer.

"That's good" She finally smiles at me. I bent down and kiss my way up her neck, making her breath hitch in the process.

"Sometime soon, I will have my wicked way with you" I whisper.

"I am looking forward to that...but I am still a little annoyed at you. Also are we finally going to get that bitch?" Steph asks and pushes away from me.

"No...come back here." I pout, which makes her grin even more.

"Maybe later" She quips "You have work to do" She add and leaves the room with swaying hips. I suppress a groan, take a couple of deep breaths and walk towards the conference rooms.

* * *

 _A couple of hours later_

"I will do it" Jason nods in agreement.

"What if she wants to meet?" Steph questions worriedly.

"I am counting on that. I will liaise with Joe and local PD. We will get her" I assure them.

"Dad, what if she doesn't come alone?" Julie probes and looks at me with a worried expression. I will still have to talk to her and explain myself, but it doesn't seem like she is holding a grudge regarding Jason. "What if she brings other Russians?"

"Matt's contact told us that she has hired some people" I acknowledge. "But Rangemen is better than them." And when the worry on Julie's face doesn't go away, I add. "I promise you we will be fine. No one will get hurt."

"When are we going to call her?" Jason probes.

"Hector is setting up the equipment in the conference room right now and Joe is on his way. So whenever he gets here, we will call her." I inform them.

"Ok" Jason nods.

* * *

"That him?" Joe, crosses his arms in front of his chest and nods towards Jason, who is sitting at the table, waiting to make the call to Mary.

"Yupp" I nod. Joe hasn't met Jason yet, but the expression on his face mirrors the way I feel about the boy.

"I don't like the Idea of Julie dating him" Joe acknowledges.

"Don't worry, I will keep an eye out" I assure him.

"Will you two stop it already?" Steph says, making both of us jump. I discovered that she can be as silent as a cat when she wants to be. "Julie thinks of Jason like a brother...so cut it out" She hisses.

Joe, the Traitor, instantly walks over to Jason and places a hand on his shoulder, leaving me alone with Steph. "I am Joe Morelli. I am a cop and Ranger has asked me to be here. We all will be with you the whole time" He assures the Jason, before nodding at Hector to signal that we are ready.

"OK everyone else out" I shout and my employees who are not directly involved in this case file out of the room. _"Dial it"_ I nod at Hector, who does as requested.

"Hello?" a woman answers, who's voice sounds like she smokes one packet of cigarettes a day.

"Mary, it's Jason" the boy says. "I heard you are looking for your money."

"Jason...darling...it's is so nice to hear from you again you little shit" Mary sneers. ""How did you get this number and how did you find out I am looking for my money?"

"I have my connections" Jason replies a little too vague and Joe motions for him to elaborate a little. "I am still in touch with Julie...You remember her? The one you kidnapped?"

"What did the little bitch tell you?" Mary instantly questions.

"Only that you kidnapped her, because you thought she had your money...What Julie doesn't know is that I have it" Jason informs her and Joe gives him a thumbs up.

There is silence on the other end of the line, before Mary says "I want my money back, in full. In two days at midnight, meet me at the old Budd Plant in Philly. Don't be late" and with that she hangs up.

"Ok, time to get a plan together" I look at Joe, who nods in agreement.

* * *

 _Two days later_ _ **(Everything in bold and cursive is being said out of picture)**_

"Be careful, please" Julie tells to Jason, while he puts on his Kevlar vest, which is fitted with a microphone that cannot be detected by the most advanced Bug scanners.

For the past two days Julie has asked me so many questions, that I relished the peace and quiet while I was on the toilet this morning. I understand she is worried and I have tried to assure her that everything would be fine, but she still wouldn't let up.

"Don't worry, Julie" Jason smiles at her, before he turns to look at me. "We ready to go?"

"We are" I nod and get into the driver's seat of the black SUV. Joe plants his butt into the back with Jason and Tank folds his large frame into the passenger seat, while the other Rangemen assigned to this mission pile into the remaining three SUV's.

Manny and Hal already went yesterday to Philly to do a little re-con, before scoping out the perfect place to put down their sniper rifles. The local PD is informed of what will go down tonight, but as agreed with the Chief of Police, they will stay away, as we are unsure how deep Mary's connections go.

* * *

"Manny and Hal will have an eye on you at all times. I have men stationed around the building and as said the Microphone cannot be detected by the most advanced bug scanners." I reiterate to Jason. "Just don't do anything stupid and everything will go as planned."

"Yes Sir" He replies mockingly and in return I narrow my eyes at him. "I won't do anything stupid. " He adds.

"Good" Joe nods. "You need to go two blocks straight, one block right and another two blocks straight before the Budd Plant is on your right hand side."

"Got it" Jason nods.

"Good Luck" I say, before handing him the bag of money.

With another nod, Jason takes the bag and turns away.

"Let hope he doesn't do anything stupid" Tank mutters, for like the hundreds time, since we came up with the plan for today.

"You and me both." I agree.

The three of us get into the car and drive off into the opposite direction. We are going to take a different route to the Plant in order to not get detected.

* * *

At quarter to midnight, we park the car a couple of blocks away from the building and hike the rest of the way.

"All in position?" I question through my earpiece, once Joe, Tank and I are in position. Everyone responds with an affirmative, so all we have to do now is wait.

"Boss, target is entering the Building from the east side with three armed men" Hal informs us.

"Stay on her" Tank responds.

"Team Charlie: Two hostiles approaching from the west. Awaiting orders" Zip advises.

"Proceed with Silent take down" I order.

"Copy that" Zip acknowledges.

 ** _"Mary"_** We hear Jason greet the woman.

 ** _"You alone?"_** A male voice asks and we hear someone come closer.

 ** _"I am"_** Jason acknowledges.

 ** _"He is clean"_** The man announces a few moments later, presuming to Mary herself.

 ** _"You have the money?"_** Mary questions.

"Hostiles neutralized" Zip advises.

 ** _"Show it to me"_** Mary requests. I assume Jason must have nodded to answer her question.

 ** _"Under one stipulation"_** Jason responds.

"Don't do it kid" Tank growls under his breath. "Just give her the money and get out of there."

 ** _"Go on"_**

 ** _"You leave Julie alone."_** the boy requests.

 ** _"Fine...I will leave the little bitch alone."_** Mary agrees, far too easily for my liking.

There is a moment of silence, before we hear Jason move forward and say **_"It's all there."_**

 ** _"Jason, you silly little boy…"_** Mary sneers, just when Hal informs us "Boss he just pulled a gun."

"FUCK" I whisper shout and start running towards the building, with Tank and Joe hot on my tails. "Where the fuck did he get a gun from"

 ** _"You destroyed our lives"_** Jason growls. **_"You worked us to the bone, your husband raped us."_**

 ** _"Lower your weapons….he won't shoot...what he says... it's all lies...and he knows it"_** Mary answers, in a tone that tells me that she hasn't heard those accusations for the first time. **_"What are you going to do boy? Shoot me?"_** She taunts him.

Rape? Julie never mentioned anything about rape.

"Boss orders?" Hal requests.

I can't answer. Fury has overtaken me.

"Proceed with caution. If her goons raise their guns, shoot them." I hear Tank answer instead.

 ** _"I have nightmares to this day. Your husband was sick and you never did anything to prevent it!"_** Jason shouts.

Just when we reach the main doors, I turn to Joe "She will never see the inside of a jail cell."

"Good in my books." He nods.

"On my count, breach." I order. "Three, two….one...go."

* * *

 **What did you think?**


	18. Listening In

**Author Notes**

 **Thank you for all the comments and sticking with me for so long.**

 **Here we go another chapter.**

 **And don't be too hard on Ranger. It came from the right place, his execution was just a little poorly ;).**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Steph's POV** ** _(once again, all in bold in Italic, is happening out of the scene)_**

I am pacing the 7th floor apartment when someone suddenly knocks on the door. It couldn't be Julie, since Lester took her to his house to distract her from what is happening in Philly. Nadia had a full on girly evening planned and Ranger ordered Lester was ordered to stay close by.

Les had whined that he wasn't getting his nails painted, to which Julie shot him her most puppy eyed look and said "Please Uncle Lester...it will make me feel so much better." Les's face was priceless.

I open the door and find Hector on the other side. "Hi" I smile at him.

"Come with me" He requests and holds out his hand. For a moment I just stare at him and he sighs. "I was born in the States and speak English perfectly. People just open up easier around me when they think I can't understand them."

"Your secret is safe with me" I assure him with a wink.

Welcome for the distraction, I quickly grab a bottle of water out of the fridge and my key fob from the kitchen counter, before joining him out on the hallway.

"Where are we going?" I ask.

"You will see" He says, pushes me into the already waiting car and presses the button for -1, before swiping his key fob for access.

"What is down there?" I question out of curiosity, but he keeps silent.

Once we are in the sublevel, he leads me through the darkish hallways, before stopping in front of a door. He swipes his fob along the designated panel and motions for me to walk through first.

"Wow...this is...you only see this kind of stuff in movies and then it's usually about secret CIA spy stuff" I say in almost amazement, making him chuckle. Hector closes the door behind us and walks over to the huge panel of monitors. If you have ever seen Criminal minds and seen Penelope Garcia's work station, triple the amount of monitors and equipment in the same size room and you have what I guess is the unofficial Rangemen surveillance room.

"Upstairs we monitor the properties we secure and minor level operations. This here" Hector smiles and motions around the room "Is my pride and joy and only a few people know about and have access to it."

"So top secret?" I question and take a seat in the bean bag someone placed into the corner. I want to stay far away from the panel, since I am prone to break things.

"Yeah pretty much." Hector nods.

"So he really is Batman...which makes you his Alfred" I giggle at the expression on his face.

"I am sure Alfred didn't spend five years in prison, but I'll take it" He grins. I have seen the Ink on some parts of his body and the teardrop tattoo under his left eye, so I figured he'd done some time.

Knowing never to ask what someone was in for, because you never know if you like the answer, I ask "So we can listen in tonight?"

"Yes" He nods, lets his fingers fly over a keyboard and brings up something on the biggest monitor closest to him. "We should hear something any second. They are probab…." Before he can finish the sentence, Ranger's voice rings through the speakers **_"All in position?"_** In response, three Affirmatives come back.

"Why did you bring me down here?" I question and take a sip of my water, to distract myself from what is happening in Philly right now.

"I figured you must be pacing up and down up there, worried out of your mind and since Julie is at Lester's..." He shrugs. "This way you get to hear first-hand that they are fine."

Before I can thank him, Hal's voice comes almost like a whisper through the speakers. This place must be Dolby Surround equipped. **_"Boss, target is entering the Building from the east side with three armed men"_**

 ** _"Stay on her"_** Tank responds. This is as tense as any horror movie and my heart start beating at a quicker pace.

"Is it always this intense?" I ask.

"You get used to it" Hector shrugs.

 ** _"Team Charlie: Two hostiles approaching from the west. Awaiting orders"_** Zip advises. I have learned in the short time since I have lived here and gotten to know the Rangemen before that, that Hector and Zip are in a relationship.

"Does it ever get easier?" I ask, just before Ranger's orders come through **_"Proceed with Silent take down."_**

 ** _"Copy that"_** Zip acknowledges.

"I mean having had to watch Ranger leave to go to Russia was hard, even when we weren't anything back then." I admit.

"It doesn't get easier, but once you see what they do and how good they are at it, it...I don't know….I mean I am out there as well, when Zip has to stay back...so he worries as well. You come to terms with it I suppose." He shrugs again. "We just make sure we never go out there angry at each other and not without letting the other one know, in one way or another, how much they mean to the other one. That way if something happens at least I'd know that my last words weren't angry ones."

 ** _"Mary"_** Jason says suddenly, before I can say something.

 ** _"You alone?"_** Another male voice questions and we hear someone come closer.

 ** _"I am"_** Jason acknowledges.

 ** _"He is clean"_** the previous voice announces after a few moments of silence, where we only heard small movements. I assume Jason was checked for bugs.

 ** _"You have the money?"_** A female voice, which I recognise as Mary's, asks.

 ** _"Hostiles neutralized"_** Zip announces and I can see Hector's muscles relax a little.

 ** _"Show it to me"_** Mary requests. Jason must have responded with a nod.

 ** _"Under one stipulation"_** Jason responds.

 ** _"Go on"_**

 ** _"You leave Julie alone."_** the boy requests.

 ** _"Fine...I will leave the little bitch alone."_** Mary agrees quickly, obviously eager to get her fat hands on her cash. I would love to twist her neck for calling Julie a little bitch though.

After a moment of silence, Jason steps forward **_"It's all there."_** He declares.

 ** _"Jason, you silly little boy…"_** Mary sneers.

 ** _"Boss, he just pulled a gun!"_** Hal announces and I hold my breath.

Ranger doesn't respond, instead we hear Jason growl **_"You destroyed our lives"_**

"Why isn't Ranger responding?" I ask a little panicked. If Jason shoots Mary, he could go to prison.

"He may be forming a plan with Tank and Joe. He physically needs to press the button on the microphone to speak, unlike the bug we put on Jason, which picks up everything" Hector informs me.

 ** _"You worked us to the bone, your husband raped us!"_** Jason adds. Wait, what? Rape? My heart stops beating altogether. Julie has never mentioned anything about rape. I mean it could be possible that she suppressed the memory. They mentioned it in one of the documentaries I watched the other week.

Hector pushes his chair away from the desk and let's himself roll over to where I am sitting. Silently he takes my hand and squeezes it gently.

 ** _"Lower your weapons...he won't shoot...what he says... it's all lies...and he knows it"_** Mary answers. **_"What are you going to do boy? Shoot me?"_** She taunts him.

 ** _"Boss orders?"_** Hal requests, but instead of Ranger, it's Tank that answers.

 ** _"Proceed with caution. If her goons raise their guns, shoot them."_**

 ** _"I have nightmares to this day. Your husband was sick and you never did anything to prevent it!"_** Jason shouts.

 ** _"On my count, breach."_** Ranger suddenly says. **_"Three, two….one...go."_**

Once again I hold my breath.

Through Jason's microphone we hear metal fall in the distance, people shouting and guns going off. Some closer, some farther away.

I squeeze the life out of Hector's hand until I hear Ranger's voice. **_"Jason, don't do this. She isn't worth it."_** The sound of his voice getting closer. **_"She isn't worth you going to prison for the rest of your life."_**

 ** _"What Julie and I went through...We got sent there, because there were a lot of kids…."_** Jason's voice trembles. **_"The Social worker said it would be nice there, that I only had a few years until I was seen as an adult and that these people would be good for me. They would help me find a job...Those were the worst years of my life…"_**

"We need to look into this Social Worker" I tell Hector, who only nods in agreement.

 ** _"I can't even begin to understand what it must have been like, but she isn't worth the nightmares you will have after that bullet penetrates her skull. She is not worth spending the rest of your life in a five by five cell."_** Ranger says calmly.

 ** _"Boss, I don't have a clear shot"_** Hal announces.

 ** _"Do not shoot the kid!"_** Tank orders.

 ** _"Copy that"_** Hal and Manny both respond.

 ** _"He would sneak into our room in the early morning hours...He would use his belt to wedge into our mouths so we wouldn't make any noise…"_** Tears fill my eyes at this kid's pain. He had no one to turn to, no one to help him. I swear to god, if they touched Julie… **_"One of the other older boys, Marc, and I used to stay away...take turns to protect the little boys. When we fought back, he brought back support...one of the guards... The guard would hold us down and…."_**

 ** _"LIES...ALL LIES"_** Mary shouts. **_"My sweet man never did anything like that. He loved you boys like his own."_**

 ** _"He loved us, because he loved putting his soggy old dick into little boys."_** Jason shouts and part of me is relieved by his statement. The bastard didn't touch Julie. **_"And you knew…."_**

 **BANG**

The gunshot rings through the speakers and at the same time my heart stops beating, my stomach plummets and my lungs refuse to cooperate.

 ** _"BOBBY"_** Tanks shouts and the sound doubles up, as he must have been close to Jason and at the same time said it through his own Microphone. **_"And for fuck sake, someone cuff her!"_** The last part we only hear because he is close to Jason.

 ** _"I am sorry"_** We hear Jason say and it is evident that he is crying.

 ** _"WHAT ARE YOU DOING...LET ME GO...I AM INNOCENT!"_** Mary shouts from further away.

 ** _"Issss….oookahyy"_** Ranger's voice is weak. Where was he shot? Chest? He surely had his vest on, right?

 ** _"Boss, you gotta let me look"_** Bobby growls.

 ** _"Jusstttt thee….vvest"_** Ranger responds, which has me sacking back into the bean bag and releasing Hector's hand in relief.

"Jesus Steph...you have some grip" Hector wiggles his fingers and wrist, which have clear marks of blood loss on them and grins.

"Sorry" I smile.

 ** _"Well stop being stubborn and let me look. It is protocol"_** Bobby mutters to Ranger, obviously not realising that Jason is still standing close enough for the microphone to pick everything up. **_"I mean you would think you remember that, since you wrote the damn thing."_**

Hector and I laugh out loud. The tension that filled the room a few minutes ago is now rolling off us.

 ** _"Meet me on the Mats at 0500 hours"_** Ranger growls, obviously already feeling better.

"I better let Julie know." I fish out my phone, only to realize that there is no reception down here. "Will I be able to get back up?"

"Yes. Your fob gives you access to the whole building. No secret is safe from you" He winks and turns around to the monitors.

I let that information sink in for a moment. Ranger already trusts me enough to give me unrestricted access to his Building? I wasn't even allowed in Dick's office after we were married.

* * *

 **What did you think?**


	19. The offer among other things

**Author's note**

 **Here we go second last chapter. The next one will be an Epilogue.**

 **Thank you for all the comments and Likes. They mean the world to me.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Ranger's POV**

 _The next morning_

"You are back!" Julie shouts across the flat when she sees me open the front door to the apartment.

"I am" I smile, when she comes running towards me and embraces me in a hug with full force, making me wince slightly.

"Oh shit, I forgot that Mom said that you got hurt." She pulls back with an apologetic smile.

"It's alright" I pull her back in, move us a little forward and kick the door shut behind me. For a moment I close my eyes and rest my chin on her head, which isn't as comfortable as it sounds, since she is only half a head shorter than me.

"You ok Dad?" She muffles against my chest.

"I am better now" I smile and keep holding her.

Not for the first time that someone pointed a gun to my head or that I jumped in front of one to save someone else, but this time was different. This time scared the shit out of me, because I have a family to think off.

A kid that I have fallen madly in love with, who is smart, funny, confident and beautiful. And a woman who I have come to like having around and who has changed my mind about staying alone for the rest of my life. A woman who has also kept me on my toes since the day I met her.

Julie probably won't let me do this to her in public ever, but I relish the feeling of this hug right now. I just hope she can forgive me for talking to Jason and understand that I only want to protect her.

"Are you two ever going to get in here? Getting mighty lonely" Steph shouts from the living room.

Julie and I both let out a chuckle and let go of each other. Together we walk into the living room, where we find Steph snuggled up under a blanket, watching TV. Everything about this scenario seems right, seems perfect. Who knew that this is what has been missing from my life?

"You ok?" Steph questions, when I sit down on the couch next to her feet, after dropping my bag off in the bedroom.

"I will be. Vest got the worst of it and a large bruise has already shown up where I got hit." I waive of. I rather not tell her that I walked in front of Jason to keep him from shooting Mary and that in his emotional distress he accidentally fired the gun. "Julie, can I talk to you for a moment?" I ask, when she is about to make a getaway to my office to play with the PlayStation I set up for her. I may be exhausted, but I need to get this out in the open now.

"Sure" my teenage daughter nods and sits down in the couch chair close by.

"First of all I am sorry that I talked to Jason. I get why you are angry. I have only been in your life a short while, but all I already want to do is to protect you and shield you from the same mistakes I made…" I tell her honestly. I never beat around the bush or lie to the people I love, unless it is to protect them, so why should I do so with Julie?

"Thank you...but its fine Dad. I was angry, but I think I understand" Julie nods and I smile gratefully at her.

"I don't want this to come between us. In the future, I will try my hardest to not attempt to intimidate your male friends or future boyfriends" It is going be very hard, but for Julie I will most certainly try. Instead I will show off my impressive gun collection and the rooms in the basement to make sure they don't get any funny ideas.

"There is something else I need to talk to you about." I add. This isn't something I wanted to ask my daughter, ever. No parent should have to ask these kind of questions. "When we were in Philadelphia, Jason revealed something about his time living with Mary…" I swallow hard and Steph takes my hand in support. "Did Cletus Green or Mary herself ever touch you inappropriately?" I ask, dreading the answer.

Jason was in no condition to talk after what happened in Philly, so I couldn't outright ask him about Julie. Bobby drove back with him and Zip will keep an eye on him for the next 48 hours, just to be sure. Doc says that he will work with Jason to find a therapist and a support group to help him get over this.

"What? You mean if they raped me? God no...They never touched me" Julie says outraged. I can see Steph visibly relax and some of the tenseness in my shoulders disappears too. "Did they do that to Jason? I mean I heard rumours when I was there, but he never said anything."

"Jason was raped by Cletus" I confirm and Julie's face goes from horrified to sad and then to angry in a matter of seconds. "Jason was in shock after what happened in Philly. We do not know more than what he has revealed so far, but we will find a therapist and a support group for him and assist him with anything else he might need. Bobby says it will be a tough road ahead, since Jason seems to have suppressed the memories and bottled up his feelings."

"Oh my god…" Julie whispers and tears fall down her cheeks. Not knowing what to do, I take her hand and pull her across onto my lap.

"He will be fine with a lot of help and support." I assure her and wrap my arms around her again.

* * *

 _Later that day_

There is a knock on the bedroom door and when I look up, I find Steph standing in the doorway. I decided to work from the seventh floor today, so I could be there for Julie, who has been locked into the office since I told her about Jason.

"Is she ok?" I ask and put the laptop down onto the bed.

"Yeah." Steph nods. "We talked to Bobby, who said that Julie can go down to see Jason this afternoon."

"Good" I nod. "Now come over here."

She closes the door and comes to straddle my lap. I draw her in for a kiss and my dick gets hard instantly when her tongue begs for entry, which I grant her.

Steph moans and in one swift move, I flip us over to have her under me. "Ahhh" She yelps of surprise. "Watch your laptop."

"I will buy another one" I shrug, pull her in for another kiss and tangle my right hand into her hair. With the other I roam her body freely, feeling her every curve.

Only until I feel her hands tugging at my shirt, I break the kiss. Both of us panting, the air charged and with her eyes showing how much she wants to strip me naked, it nearly kills me to put a stop to this. "Not like this."

"I don't care...I just really want you everywhere in and on me" She retorts and runs her nails along my exposed back, making me shiver.

"Babe, the last thing I want to do is stop right now, but I am not an asshole. I want to take my time and not be worried about the teenager next door." I pull my shirt back down with a sigh, before placing another kiss on her soft lips.

"This is the second time you are doing this to me" She pouts "You are not one of those weirdos that only wants to take it slow and be gentle...as if I am made out of glass?"

That question has me pressing further against her. "Believe me…" I pull her even closer so that her sex is rubbing against the bulge in my pants "I am not one of those weirdos. The more random the place, the better." I grin, give her another quick kiss before rolling us over, so that she is tugged into my side.

"Fine…" She blows out a frustrated sigh and I chuckle at her cute, pouting face. "I came in here to talk to you about something else anyways" She adds after a minute of silence.

"Go on" I nod.

"That social worker that got Julie and Jason placed with the Greens. You think she was in on it?" Steph asks.

"It's possible. I will get the guys to look into it." I nod, take out my phone and sent a message to Lester and Hector, who are on duty at the moment to cover for Tank, me and Bobby.

"Also what happened to Mary?" She questions and turns her head, so she is looking right at me.

* * *

 **Steph's POV**

His face goes blank at my questions. My guess is that Mary is lying in a ditch somewhere, for her body never to be found, but I know that Ranger would never admit to that and since I don't want him to lie to me, I add "Ok let me rephrase: Will she be a problem in the future and did she get what she deserves?"

His face splits into a smile when he answers "No and Yes."

"That is good enough for me" I smile back. As long as Julie is safe, I am good. Which probably makes me a bad person, but Mary tried to hurt my daughter and she let her husband rape innocent children. In my book, she deserves to rot in hell.

* * *

 _A few days later_

"Thank you for everything" I tell Jason and draw him into a hug.

"You are welcome" He nods into my shoulder. I have grown to like the kid.

"I am sorry that you have to go through this and hope you will get better soon." I add and let him go with another squeeze to his shoulders.

Jason is moving into a Treatment facility that specialises in sexual abuse victims in New Haven, Connecticut. He will stay there for one month, unless doctors deem it necessary for him to stay longer. Bobby knows the Psychiatrist there and was able to secure a spot for him at the last minute.

"I will find a way to pay you back" He assures Ranger, who instantly shakes his head.

"Forget about it kid. Get better soon" the man in black says and shakes Jason's hand.

"We will skype right?" Julie interjects, pushing in front of Ranger in the process. "Let's not go such a long time without talking to each other again."

"Rest assured Tiny Hands that I will message you so much you will get sick of me very quickly." Jason smiles and draws Julie into a hug too. "Be good" I hear him whisper, before he lets my daughter go.

"Thanks again" Jason nods and then gets into the waiting car which Bobby is driving. Doc will get him to the clinic and makes sure he settles in alright.

"Alright ladies, let's get some lunch. I am starving" Lester, who is just coming down the stairs with his keys in hand and his wife Nadia following behind him, announces. He agreed, due to a bet lost to Julie, that we would take her and Nadia out for lunch and shopping.

"What exactly was the bet about that you have to take them shopping and lunch?" Ranger chuckles and draws me into his side, before placing a kiss to my temple.

"AHHHH don't think about it kiddo" Lester warns Julie, who is just about to answer. "Remember the NDA I made you sign?"

"You did what?" I look at Les in disbelief.

"Don't worry Mom, the NDA was written in blood, so nothing too bad. Wouldn't hold up in court" She retorts deadpanned and it takes me a moment to catch onto the fact that they are both kidding.

"Very funny" I mumble when my daughter gives me a kiss.

"Love you too" She shouts over her shoulder and sounders of towards Lester's car.

"Let's go" Ranger growls and tugs at my hand, just as I am about to give Nadia a hug.

"Hey!" I scowl at him.

"We have more important matters to attend to" Ranger insists and tugs at my hand again.

"Like Baby making things?" Lester winks at me and manages to get out of reach before his cousin can slap him Gibbs style.

Finally the penny drops and now it is me tugging at Ranger's hand. "Let's go."

"Have fun...lots and lots of dirty fun" Nadia calls after us with a laugh, while Ranger drags me into the elevator. As soon as the doors close behind us, his lips are on mine. There is no gentleness about this kiss, all it is sexual drive and hunger.

We only break apart so that Ranger can open his door, once up on the seventh floor, and as soon as that door slams shut behind us, we start peeling the clothes of each other on our way through the apartment.

"What happened to slow and gentle?" I question with a smirk in between kisses, when he sits me down on the cold dining room table.

"That will come later" He answers swiftly and pulls me in for another kiss, while his hands move downward over by breasts and my stomach, before nudging my legs open. I pull down the last piece of his clothing, his pants, only to discover that he is going commando.

I pull away, look at his hard erection and swallow hard. "It's been a while for me...not sure that that is going to fit." I state and point at his penis.

"I am not worried" He smirks with self-assurance and his eyes travel all over body. "This will have to go" He tugs at my panties with an urgency, before giving up and just simply ripping them. He throws the ripped pieces onto the floor and takes a step back. His eyes roam all over my body and a little voice inside my head starts chirping at me:

 _Does he see all my flaws? The cellulite on my thighs? The stretchmarks from my grow spurt on ass? How small and mediocre my boobs are?_

I am usually not one to criticise myself, but a man like Ranger can and probably already had supermodels, which I won't measure up to. Just as I am about to cross my arms over my chest, he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. When he opens his eyes again, I see resignation and desire. "Fuccckkkk…" He groans.

"You are going to be the death of me woman. So fucking beautiful." He adds, before pulling me in for another kiss. The voice in my head suddenly shuts the hell up and I can help but smile at his compliment. A condom appears from out of nowhere and Ranger rolls it on himself before stepping between my legs again. "I will make this up to you, I promise" He says just when he pushes into me with force and we both groan at the feeling.

"I am so glad your stitches came out yesterday" Ranger smiles down at me, while lying on his side next to me on the couch. Somehow we managed to have sex all over the Apartment in the last few hours, except for the bedroom. He seems to have an insatiable appetite.

"You and me both" I smile back. With one look on his watch that he didn't think to remove, I sigh. "We better get up. Julie is due back soon."

"Nope. She is staying at Lester's tonight" He grins.

"So we have this place all to ourselves huh?" I ask and turn towards him, but before he can answer I put my lips to his. I am not going to waste another minute of a kid free day.

* * *

 _The next day_

"A girl could get used to this" I smile at him, when he brings me breakfast to eat in bed.

"If there wasn't the issue of a teenager and us living in separate apartments, I could do this more often" He informs me and sits down next to me.

"Ranger..." I start.

"No...Don't." He interjects "I know it's way too early to talk about this. But I want you to know that I like sharing my space with you. And maybe, someday in the future, we can make this a permanent arrangement."

"Someday" I nod and start eating the food he prepared. I am good with tabling this conversation. I already have feelings for this man, but I need to take it slow. Ranger doesn't have an easy job and we both have Julie to think of. "Let's just try to keep it low key, okay? I don't want to make a big deal out of it, especially in front of Julie."

"She has seen us kiss, cuddle and knows we are sharing a bed." Ranger insists.

"But if this goes bad, she will be affected. Let's just take it one day at a time, okay?" I ask.

"I think you need to convince me with another round of sex before our teenage daughter gets home" He grins, takes the food out of my hands and pulls me beneath him.

"But I need sustenance" I whine and look longingly at the food which he places on the nightstand.

"Later" He smirks and peels away the blanket from my otherwise naked body.

* * *

 **Ranger's POV**

When I make my way across the fifth floor later on that morning, I can't help the smile on my lips. Babe tortured me with her tongue and mouth until I agreed to her terms and conditions.

"Someone's happy" Tank announces, when I enter his office.

"I have been worse" I confirm and have a hard time keeping the grin of my face.

Before Tank can say anything else, his desk phone rings and he picks it up without hesitation. "Thank you, send him up."

"He is here already?" I ask. "He is early."

"That should tell you that he has good manners and is punctual." Tank retorts.

Minutes later there is a knock on the door and I stand to open it. "Boss, this is Brian Stevenson." Anthony announces, before turning to go back to the desk downstairs.

"Ricardo Manoso" I hold out my hand for the young man to shake.

"Nice to meet you Sir" Brian nods. "Tank."

"Good to see you again" Tanks shakes the kid's hand to. "Please come in."

"Thank you for saving Julie's Life" I tell him, when we are all seated on Tank's Office couches. I have never been a man for small talk. "For helping her when she needed it...not everyone would have done what you did."

"It was nothing" He assures me.

"You shot two men to save my girl, that wasn't nothing." I reply. "How are you holding up?"

"I am doing ok, Sir. Thank you" Brian answers immediately.

"Be honest, how are you really holding up?" Tank asks. "Every single one of us working for this company has been shot, seen people get shot or shot people, whether it is overseas in combat or here on home turf in a gang war. It all sticks with you. So you don't have to hold back."

After a few minutes of contemplative silence, during which the kid seems to assess the two of us before deeming us trustworthy, he admits "I get nightmares, but my father is understanding and helping me."

"That is good" I nod. Glad that he has a support system. This thing will haunt him for a while. "I read in your background search that you are studying Law and criminology at Penn?"

"I am" He confirms with a nod. "I am in my fourth Semester." If he is surprised by the information I have, he doesn't show it.

"How would you like a well-compensated job to pay off that Student debt of yours?" I ask outright.

"You are offering me a job?" He questions astonished.

"He is" Tank nods. "The core Team, which includes Ranger and myself, is in agreement that you would be an asset to the company."

"We understand that with a double major you have a full plate, but we can work around your University schedule and during semester holidays you could work full time, if you are interested. But since we do not have a branch in Philly, you would need to work here in Trenton." I explain.

"If you are offering me a job just because I saved your daughter and your wife, then don't worry about it. Because it really wasn't a big deal." Brian waves off.

"You should know something about me and this company" I start, trying to remain calm to the fact that this boy thinks I would offer him a job because he saved Julie and Steph. "I wouldn't offer my own parents a job, if I didn't think they were an asset to this company. So this offer is legit and has nothing to do with Julie. With your skills as a hunter, growing up in an army/ cop family and with your studies you will fit right in."

"You will need to pass the physical tests as well as the shooting assessment" Tank interjects. "But I don't think that will be an issue for you." Tank is right. The kid looks fit and shouldn't have a problem passing the assessment.

"I am sorry. I didn't mean to insult you" Brian responds. "I just didn't expect this."

"Don't let it happen again." I warn him.

"Think about it and give us an answer by next week. In the meantime let's show you around the office." Tank stands and points at the door.

* * *

 **Brian's POV**

After I saved the pretty girl in the woods, I googled the company the burly looking men had written on their shirts. Only to discover that they are a well know, established security company. That taught me never to assume something. When I looked at Julie and her mother and listened to the man on the phone, I assumed they were into some shady business. Why else would they have a security team at their disposal?

Nevertheless I couldn't leave her to fend for herself out there. Especially after I saw those men running down stream with guns in their hands.

It was a split second decision, which my dad was a) grateful I reacted the way I did but b) also very upset that I put myself in danger like that. When I got home that evening from the hospital and after I had giving my statement to my father's men, he did something he hasn't done since I was 10 years old. He hugged me real tight and told me he loved me.

I will deny until the day I die that I had tears in my eyes, even if my brother Paul insists on it.

I follow Tank and Mr Manoso out of the office and they lead me down the stairs. I was surprised to receive a call from Tank, asking me to come down to their office in Trenton. He said Julie's father wanted to meet with me. What I didn't know was, that Julie's father is the boss and owner of the company. The little research I had done, didn't come up with anything more than a picture and a name.

Never in my life did I imagine that I would walk out of here with a job offer today.

I know roughly what the security industry pays and by taking this job, I wouldn't make any more debt and may be even pay back a little already.

"We are going to show you the gun range first and work our way…" Ranger stops dead in his tracks and I nearly plow into him, by not paying attention. _Way to make an impression, Brian!_

"Hey Dad" I know that voice and step around Ranger to look at the Julie, my girl from the woods. "Hey" Her smile widens when she spots me. "What are you doing here?" She questions, while stepping forward and to my surprise she giving me a hug. I mean she hugged me in the hospital, but that one was different than this one.

"Your father just offered me a job" I answer, not knowing what else to say and wrap my arms around her, but one look at Mr Manoso's face shows me that that was the wrong thing to do. I quickly let go and move a feet away from her.

Her gaze instantly shifts to her father and she shoots him a glare. "Congratulations. Might see you around then" Julie smiles and sounders off further up the stairs.

Once she is out of hearing range, Mr. Manoso warns me "You want to work here, you keep your hands of my daughter."

* * *

 **What did you think?**


End file.
